Stone hut circle 740m east of Woodhead

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 stone hut circle 740m east of Woodhead survives well and is a rare survival in Cumbria of an unexcavated example of this class of monument. As such it will contain undisturbed archaeological deposits. The monument lies close to other prehistoric monuments on the fells around Bewcastle and thus indicates the importance of this area in prehistoric times and the diversity of monument classes to be found here.

Details

The monument includes a prehistoric stone hut circle located on a tongue of flat ground overlooking a steep declivity 740m east of Woodhead. The hut circle measures 11.5m diameter externally and has a flat, grassy interior. Its turf covered stone wall survives up to 0.3m wide and measure approximately 1m wide. There is an entrance on the hut circle's south eastern side.

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:

27755

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
SMR No. 71, Cumbria SMR, Greens Burn, (1985)

End of official list entry

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