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 a round cairn located on the summit plateau of the
highest point on Birkrigg Common lying 350m west of Appleby Slack. It includes
a turf covered slightly oval-shaped mound of limestone rubble measuring 11.5m
east-west by 11m north-south and up to 0.8m high. A small outcrop of limestone
bedrock has been used to form a kerb around the north eastern side of the
cairn. At the centre of the mound there is an irregular-shaped small hollow
indicating the position of an unrecorded investigation of the monument.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
27692
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
