Reasons for Designation
A ring cairn is a prehistoric ritual monument comprising a circular bank of
stones up to 20m in diameter surrounding a hollow central area. The bank may
be kerbed on the inside, and sometimes on the outside as well, with small
uprights or laid boulders. Ring cairns are found mainly in upland areas of
England and are mostly discovered and authenticated by fieldwork and ground
level survey, although a few are large enough to be visible on aerial
photographs. They often occur in pairs or small groups of up to four examples.
Occasionally they lie within round barrow cemeteries. Ring cairns are
interpreted as ritual monuments of Early and Middle Bronze Age date. The exact
nature of the rituals concerned is not fully understood, but excavation has
revealed pits, some containing burials and others containing charcoal and
pottery, taken to indicate feasting activities associated with the burial
rituals. Many areas of upland have not yet been surveyed in detail and the
number of ring cairns in England is not accurately known. However, available
evidence indicates a population of between 250 and 500 examples. As a
relatively rare class of monument exhibiting considerable variation in form,
all positively identified examples retaining significant archaeological
deposits are considered worthy of preservation.
Details
The monument includes a ring cairn located on enclosed moorland 25m east of
Ell Clough. It includes a partly mutilated slightly oval circle of stones
which originally formed part of a ring bank measuring 17.6m north-south by
16.8m east-west. There are two rectangular hollows at the centre of the
monument which mark the site of limited antiquarian investigation undertaken
in 1887 during which a number of loose stones covering a flagstone or cist
were found. Beneath this flagstone was an urn measuring 12 inches high which
contained bones of two humans, an adult and a child, together with animal
bones and a bronze pin or awl four inches long.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
23728
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
