Cairn on Stainforth Scar, 180m east of Hawes Close Barn

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number:
1014359
Date first listed:
07-Feb-1996
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Location

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number:
1014359
Date first listed:
07-Feb-1996

Location

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

District:
North Yorkshire (Unitary Authority)
Parish:
Stainforth
National Park:
Yorkshire Dales
National Grid Reference:
SD 82566 66892

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.

Although slightly disturbed this remains a substantial monument in a prominent location and retaining further archaeological deposits.

Details

The cairn is situated on a east facing hill overlooking Ribblesdale. It has a diameter of 15m although the western edge has disappeared with the erosion of the scarp beneath. The cairn is somewhat eroded as a result of stone being removed and reused for nearby walling, however on the north eastern edge is a well defined kerb. The remains of stone settings are also indicated in places.

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:
28406
Legacy System:
RSM

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.

Ordnance survey map of Cairn on Stainforth Scar, 180m east of Hawes Close Barn

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 25-Jun-2026 at 05:25:19.

Download a full scale map (PDF)
© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

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.

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