Reasons for Designation
Cross dykes are substantial linear earthworks typically between 0.2km and 1km
long and comprising one or more ditches arranged beside and parallel to one or
more banks. They generally occur in upland situations, running across ridges
and spurs. They are recognised as earthworks or as cropmarks on aerial
photographs, or as combinations of both. The evidence of excavation and
analogy with associated monuments demonstrates that their construction spans
the millennium from the Middle Bronze Age, although they may have been re-used
later. Current information favours the view that they were used as territorial
boundary markers, probably demarcating land allotment within communities,
although they may also have been used as trackways, cattle droveways or
defensive earthworks. Cross dykes are one of the few monument types which
illustrate how land was divided up in the prehistoric period. They are of
considerable importance for any analysis of settlement and land use in the
Bronze Age. Very few have survived to the present day and hence all well-
preserved examples are considered to be of national importance.
Details
The monument includes a cross dyke of prehistoric date cutting off the
promontory formed by the confluence of the Dovecrag and Holystone Burns. The
dyke is formed by a ditch 4m across and 1.5m deep with the upcast from the
ditch thrown to the eastern side to form a rampart 4.5m wide by 1.5m high
which runs parallel to the ditch for its entire length of 390m. The dyke runs
between the two burns across the central hilly section where it is bisected by
a Roman road. North of the road the dyke is less straight and a pronounced
twist can be seen.
The road and the forestry plantation wall which bisect the cross dyke are
excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
20951
Legacy System:
RSM
End of official list entry
