Reasons for Designation
Standing stones are prehistoric ritual or ceremonial monuments with dates
ranging from the Late Neolithic to the end of the Bronze Age for the few
excavated examples. They comprise single or paired upright orthostatic slabs,
ranging from under lm to over 6m high where still erect. They are often
conspicuously sited and close to other contemporary monument classes. They can
be accompanied by various features: many occur in or on the edge of round
barrows, and where excavated, associated subsurface features have included
stone cists, stone settings, and various pits and hollows filled in with earth
containing human bone, cremations, charcoal, flints, pots and pot sherds.
Similar deposits have been found in excavated sockets for standing stones,
which range considerably in depth. Several standing stones also bear cup and
ring marks. Standing stones may have functioned as markers for routeways,
territories, graves, or meeting points, but their accompanying features show
they also bore a ritual function and that they form one of several ritual
monument classes of their period that often contain a deposit of cremation and
domestic debris as an integral component. No national survey of standing
stones has been undertaken, and estimates range from 50 to 250 extant
examples, widely distributed throughout England but with concentrations in
Cornwall, the North Yorkshire Moors, Cumbria, Derbyshire and the Cotswolds.
Standing stones are important as nationally rare monuments, with a high
longevity and demonstrating the diversity of ritual practices in the Late
Neolithic and Bronze Age. Consequently all undisturbed standing stones and
those which represent the main range of types and locations would normally be
considered to be of national importance.
Details
The monument includes the remains of a standing stone of Bronze Age date
situated on the lower north facing slopes of Bunkerhill. The standing stone is
roughly square in section with sides varying between 0.56m and 0.63m and
stands to a height of 0.7m. It has been fashioned from a massive block, the
top of which is deeply grooved. The south eastern face of the standing stone
bears the worn traces of modern grafitti. A charter of AD 1238 refers to the
stone as `the great standing stone on the height'.
The fence which surrounds the standing stone is excluded from the scheduling
but the ground beneath this is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
25194
Legacy System:
RSM
End of official list entry
