Reasons for Designation
Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age
(c.2000-700 BC). They were constructed as stone mounds covering single or
multiple burials. These burials may be placed within the mound in stone-lined
compartments called cists. In some cases the cairn was surrounded by a ditch.
Often occupying prominent locations, cairns are a major visual element in the
modern landscape. They are a relatively common feature of the uplands and are
the stone equivalent of the earthen round barrows of the lowlands. Their
considerable variation in form and longevity as a monument type provide
important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisation
amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of
their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered
worthy of protection.
Details
The monument is a round cairn located at the southern edge of limestone upland
450m south-east of Castle Folds. It includes a slightly oval mound of partly
turf-covered limestone rubble up to 2.3m high with maximum dimensions of 17.8m
by 16.5m. At the monument's centre is an oval hollow created by limited
antiquarian investigation. This investigation located a rock-cut grave
measuring 2.45m by 1.45m by 0.6m deep containing a male skeleton over 1.8m
tall placed on the left side with the hands up to the face. At the crown of
the head was a triangular chert implement. Three secondary burials, described
by the excavator as Anglian (mid-5th to mid-11th centuries AD), were also
located. Two of these burials were in shallow stone-lined graves.
An information sign at the monument's centre is excluded from the scheduling
but the ground beneath it is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
23620
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
