Hut circle and adjacent clearance cairn 100m north west of Round Hill

Reasons for Designation

Stone hut circles were the dwelling places of prehistoric farmers. The stone based round-houses consist of low walls or banks enclosing a circular floor area; the remains of the turf, thatch or heather roof are not preserved. Frequently traces of their associated field systems may be found immediately around them. These may be indicated by areas of clearance cairns and/or the remains of field walls and other enclosures. Many hut circles have been shown to date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC) but it is also clear that they were still being constructed and used in the Early Iron Age. The longevity of use of hut circles and their relationships with other monument types provides 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. This hut circle survives well and significant information about the original form and archaeological deposits within the monument will be preserved. The clearance cairn is part of the wider field system associated with the hut circle. The monument is part of a wider group of barrows, some of which are thought to represent territorial markers. Similar groups of monuments are known elsewhere on the North York Moors. Such groupings of monuments offer important scope for the study of the division of land for social, ritual and agricultural purposes in different areas in the prehistoric period.

Details

The monument includes a hut circle and an adjacent clearance cairn situated on the crest of a knoll on the lower slopes of a high dale on the northern edge of the North York Moors. The hut circle is defined by a low circular bank 9.7m in diameter. On the north west side an arc of exposed stones lies within the bank. Further stones appear along the crest of the bank throughout its circumference. The central area has been infilled level with the lip of the bank in order to protect the exposed structure from weathering. A survey prior to this work in 1989 recorded a well defined central area with scatters of small stones in the southern arc of the bank. The clearance cairn is a mound of stones cleared from the land to allow for agriculture. It is round in shape, 6m in diameter and stands 0.5m high. The southern flank is denuded of vegetation and the structure of the mound is exposed to erosion. The monument lies within a group of round barrows, one of several similar groups in this area of the Hambleton Hills providing evidence of territorial organisation. The monument is part of a wider landscape of occupation and exploitation and provides evidence of the utilisation of marginal land for agricultural purposes in the prehistoric period.

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:

26909

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Spratt, D A, Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology in North East Yorkshire in Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology of North East Yorkshire, Vol. BAR 104, (1993), 116-123

Other
Batey, C, Catalogue of recorded sites in Survey, Scarth Wood Moor 1984-90,
Batey, C, Catalogue of recorded sites in Survey, Scarth Wood Moor 1984-90,

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.