Reasons for Designation
Long barrows were constructed as earthen or drystone mounds with flanking
ditches and acted as funerary monuments during the Early and Middle Neolithic
periods (3400-2400 BC). They represent the burial places of Britain's early
farming communities and, as such, are amongst the oldest field monuments
surviving visibly in the present landscape. Where investigated, long barrows
appear to have been used for communal burial, often with only parts of the
human remains having been selected for interment. Certain sites provide
evidence for several phases of funerary monument preceding the barrow and,
consequently, it is probable that long barrows acted as important ritual sites
for local communities over a considerable period of time. Some 500 long
barrows are recorded in England. As one of the few types of Neolithic
structure to survive as earthworks, and due to their comparative rarity, their
considerable age and their longevity as a monument type, all long barrows are
considered to be nationally important.
Details
The monument includes the remains of a long cairn of Neolithic date situated
on the south west slope of Castle Hill commanding extensive views southwards.
The long cairn, orientated NNE to SSW, measures a maximum of 60m long and 14m
wide and stands to a maximum height of 2m. It has been constructed of rounded
boulders and some stone slabs with smaller stones around the edge. The surface
of the cairn, particularly at the north end, has been disturbed by quarrying
to construct the adjacent sheep fold which has been built partly into the
north west face of the cairn. The above ground walls of the later sheep fold
are excluded from the scheduling but the ground beneath them is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
25106
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
