Enclosure containing four clearance cairns and a stone bank west of Four Stones Hill

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.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

22599

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Darvill,T., MPP Single Monument Class Description - Bowl Barrows, (1988)
SMR No. 1603, Cumbria SMR, Settlement on Four Stones Hill, (1985)

End of official list entry

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