Reasons for Designation
Round cairn cemeteries date to the Bronze Age. They comprise groups of cairns
sited in close proximity to one another and take the form of stone mounds
constructed to cover single or multiple burials. Contemporary or later `flat'
graves may lie between individual cairns. Most cemeteries developed over a
considerable period of time and they can exhibit considerable diversity of
burial rite, plan and form. Occasionally they are associated with earlier long
cairns. They may also be associated with clearance cairns - heaps of stones
cleared from the adjacent ground surface to improve its quality for
agricultural activities; these were also being constructed during the Bronze
Age, although some examples are of later date. It may be impossible without
excavation to distinguish between some burial and clearance cairns. Round
cairn cemeteries occur throughout most of upland Britain; their distribution
pattern complements that of contemporary lowland earthen round barrows. Often
occupying prominent locations they are a major historic element in the modern
landscape. Their diversity and longevity as a monument type provide important
information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early
prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period
and a substantial proportion of surviving or partly-surviving examples are
considered worthy of preservation.
Details
The monument includes a group of Bronze Age cairns situated on the southern
edge of a spur immediately above steep west facing slopes. There are at least
five cairns in a line orientated south-east to north-west. The central cairn,
which is the most visible cairn in the group, is 8m in diameter and 0.8m high;
to the east of it there is a second cairn 9m in diameter and 0.5m high.
Between these cairns there is a small cairn measuring 4.5m in diamater by 0.3m
high. This last cairn has a peripheral stone kerb formed of large boulders.
Immediately to the west of the central cairn there are a further two cairns,
heavily obscured by heather; these are both are 8m in diameter and 0.8m high.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
20996
Legacy System:
RSM
End of official list entry
