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 includes the remains of a cairn of Bronze Age date situated in a
hollow between two hills. The monument survives as a circle of eight stones
measuring 4.6m in diameter, backed by a bank of earth up to 3m wide and
surviving to a height of 0.7m. The area within the circle of stones is now
empty but was originally filled with cairn material which has subsequently
been removed. The cairn was excavated towards the end of the 19th century by
Canon Greenwell who discovered a central grave containing cremated bone and
charcoal. The cairn, which measures a total of 8.5m in diameter, has no
visible traces of a surrounding ditch.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
20899
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
