Reasons for Designation
Within the upland landscape of Cumbria there are many discrete plots of land
enclosed by stone walls or banks of stone and earth, most of which date to the
Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC), though earlier and later examples also exist. They
were constructed as stock pens or as protected areas for crop growing and were
sometimes subdivided to accommodate stock and hut circle dwellings for farmers
and herdsmen. The size and form of enclosures may therefore vary considerably
depending upon their particular function. Their variation in form, longevity
and relationship to other monument classes provide important information on
the diversity of social organisation and farming practices amongst prehistoric
communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a
substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of
protection.
The enclosure west of Four Stones Hill survives well and is a good example of
this class of monument. The clearance cairns and stone bank within the
enclosure are built with stones cleared from the surrounding landscape to
improve its use for agriculture. Although primarily the product of clearance
for agriculture, evidence from other northern sites demonstrates that these
small cairns may also have been used for the interment of bodies. Without
excavation it may be impossible to determine which cairns contain burials. The
site lies close to other prehistoric monuments in the vicinity of Four Stones
Hill and thus indicates the importance of this area in prehistoric times and
the diversity of monument classes to be found here.
Details
The monument includes a sub-oval enclosure occupying a gently sloping shelf on
the fellside west of the summit of Four Stones Hill. It is defined by a turf-
covered wall of boulders and rubble up to 3m wide and 0.5m high that remains
open on its south-western side. There is an entrance 4m wide on the
enclosure's northern side. Within the enclosure are four clearance cairns and
a stone bank. The cairn adjacent to the north-western side of the enclosure
wall measures 3.7m by 3.5m and is 0.2m high. The cairn adjacent to the western
side of the enclosure wall measures 6.7m by 6m and is 0.3m high. The cairn
close to the southern tip of the enclosure measures 5.7m by 5.4m and is 0.2m
high, and the cairn close to the centre of the enclosure measures 4.1m in
diameter and is 0.3m high. The stone bank is aligned east-west and measures
14.5m long by 3m wide and is 0.3m high.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
22599
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
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
