Hut circle 920m SSW of Mounthooly

Reasons for Designation

Stone hut circles and hut circle settlements were the dwelling places of prehistoric farmers. Most date from the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). The stone- based round-houses consist of low walls or banks enclosing a circular floor area; the remains of the turf, thatch or heather roofs are not preserved. The huts may occur singly or in small or large groups and may lie in the open or be enclosed by a bank of earth or stone. 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. The longevity of use of hut circle settlements and their relationship 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.

The hut circle 920m SSW of Mounthooly survives well and will retain significant archaeological deposits. It is situated within an area of clustered archaeological sites of high quality and forms part of a wider archaeological landscape. This is a rare example of an isolated hut circle situated at the bottom of the College Valley and will contribute to the study of land use in the late prehistoric period.

Details

The monument includes a stone hut circle of Bronze Age date, situated on the western floodplain of the College Burn at the foot of the steep eastern slope of The Schil. The hut circle lies against an ancient river terrace which has been used as part of its western wall and is visible as the roughly circular foundations of a building; it measures 5.5m in diameter with walls up to 1.5m wide and 0.5m high. There is an entrance on the south east side which measures c.1m wide and is defined by two large boulders.

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:

24622

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Archaeology Section, Tyne, Wear Museums, , College Valley Survey: Mounthooly, (1994), 6

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.