Ring cairn at Juniper Gill, Ellerton Moor

Overview

Heritage Category: Scheduled Monument

List Entry Number: 1012597

Date first listed: 04-Jul-1995

Location

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

National Park: YORKSHIRE DALES

National Grid Reference: SE 07546 95821

Summary

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

Reasons for Designation

A ring cairn is a prehistoric ritual monument comprising a circular bank of stones up to 20m in diameter surrounding a hollow central area. The bank may be kerbed on the inside, and sometimes on the outside as well, with small uprights or laid boulders. Ring cairns are found mainly in upland areas of England and are mostly discovered and authenticated by fieldwork and ground level survey, although a few are large enough to be visible on aerial photographs. They often occur in pairs or small groups of up to four examples. Occasionally they lie within round barrow cemeteries. Ring cairns are interpreted as ritual monuments of Early and Middle Bronze Age date. The exact nature of the rituals concerned is not fully understood, but excavation has revealed pits, some containing burials and others containing charcoal and pottery, taken to indicate feasting activities associated with the burial rituals. Many areas of upland have not yet been surveyed in detail and the number of ring cairns in England is not accurately known. However, available evidence indicates a population of between 250 and 500 examples. As a relatively rare class of monument exhibiting considerable variation in form, all positively identified examples retaining significant archaeological deposits are considered worthy of preservation.

The monument although partially disturbed is still a well preserved example containing further archaeological remains.

History

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

Details

The ring cairn is situated on a gentle north east facing slope overlooking Juniper Gill and the lower reaches of Swaledale. It survives as a low sub-circular bank of tightly packed stones covered by thin peat turf and heather. Erosion in places has exposed these stones. Much of the northern quadrant of the monument has been robbed out and here the bank is barely perceptible. On its eastern perimeter the bank is obscured by a build up of peat. The ring cairn has a diameter of 16m.

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: 24548

Legacy System: RSM

Sources

Other
Laurie, T, (1993)
Laurie, T, (1993)

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 Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.