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.
Details
The monument includes two adjacent hut circles known as Broomrigg F. They are
located in Broomrigg Plantation and include an irregularly-shaped spread of
earthfast stones which partly protrude through the vegetation cover.
Limited excavation of the site by Hodgson in 1950 found the hut circles to
consist of two rings of stones about 0.3m high and 3.7m in diameter. The
ground within each circle was slightly harder than that outside and the
excavator interpreted this as an indication that the internal floors were the
product of treading by the occupants rather than being a typically made or
true floor. Finds from these floors included two flint flakes considered to be
the waste from flint tool manufacture and a quantity of iron oxide showing
unmistakable signs of having been worked by rubbing. A small quantity of
charcoal was also found.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
27740
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
