Unenclosed stone hut circle settlement 120m north west of Gleadscleugh

Overview

Heritage Category: Scheduled Monument

List Entry Number: 1014929

Date first listed: 27-Aug-1996

Location

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

National Park: NORTHUMBERLAND

National Grid Reference: NT 95094 29058

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 Bronze Age stone hut circles in the settlement north west of Gleadscleugh are well preserved and will retain significant archaeological deposits. The monument is situated within an area of clustered archaeological sites of high quality and forms part of a wider archaeological landscape. As such it will make a significant contribution to the study of the wider settlement pattern during this period.

Details

The monument includes the remains of an unenclosed hut circle settlement of Bronze Age date situated on the lower southern slope of Akeld Hill. The settlement comprises a trackway and a linear scatter of four stone built hut circles, each terraced into the hillside and with evidence for a porch. The three most northerly hut circles lie in a natural hollow, the fourth lies on a slight spur to the south west. From north to south the hut circles measure respectively 3m, 4m, 4m and 6m in diameter internally with walls on average 1.5m wide and standing up to 0.3m high. There is evidence of slight artificial terracing between the middle two hut circles. The trackway leads downhill from the settlement south eastward for 55m and is a U-shaped hollow cut c.1.5m deep into the hillslope; it measures between 5m and 8m wide at the top and 2m wide at the base.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number: 29307

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 Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.