Round cairn and curving bank on Pennythorn Hill

Reasons for Designation

Rombalds Moor is an eastern outlier of the main Pennine range lying between the valleys of the Wharfe and the Aire. The bulk of this area of 90 sq km of rough moorland lies over 200m above sea level. The moor is particularly rich in remains of prehistoric activity. The most numerous relics are the rock carvings which can be found on many of the boulders and outcrops scattered across the moor. Burial monuments, stone circles and a range of enclosed settlements are also known. 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. 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. A substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.

Within the landscape of the moors 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.2000-700BC), although earlier and later examples may also exist. They were constructed as protected areas for settlement, stock penning, or crop growing. Their variation in form, longevity and relationship to other monument classes provide important information on the diversity of social organisation and farming practices among prehistoric communities. This cairn survives well, as does the adjacent stone bank. Information on their inter-relationship will be preserved and they will contribute to our understanding of prehistoric activity on these moors.

Details

The monument includes a small round cairn and a curving stony bank, situated on the northern flank of Pennythorn Hill in the rough land adjacent to a golf tee. The cairn has a diameter of 6m and a maximum height of 0.5m, and is slightly hollowed in the centre. It has a surrounding ditch, which can be observed as a slight depression c.1.5m wide on the southern, uphill, side. The adjacent bank is c.63m long, 1m to 1.5m wide, and curves round the hill, ending just below the cairn. It takes the form of a low stony bank or a stony break of slope in the line of the hillside. Where crossed and eroded by trucks it can be seen to be formed by a line of boulders. It is interpreted as a prehistoric field boundary or a section of enclosure walling.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

25407

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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