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
Apron Full of Stones is a cairn built almost completely of grit and sandstone
prominently situated on the east side of Kingsdale at the edge of the flood
plain. The monument measures 23m-24m in diameter and it seems likely that up
to 6m has been eroded by the stream from the north east portion. Though
decapitated the cairn stands 3m high above a river terrace of the same height.
The cairn is built on a slight west facing gradient with the eastern side at a
higher level buried beneath upland peat. The cairn appears to have been
constructed during a single phase, the stones having been graded with the
small at the top and the large below, covering completely a kerb of large
boulders. The monument has been identified as being ditchless.
The cairn was partially excavated in 1972 revealing an empty grave, a
cremation burial, a pit and a scatter of worked and waste flints.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
24496
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
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
