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.
Details
The monument includes two round cairns located on gently sloping land close to
the south east corner of Mollen Wood, 660m east of Parkgate Bridge. The
northern cairn includes a circular mound of stones measuring 8m in diameter
and up to 1.5m high. A central hollow in the cairn's surface indicates
unrecorded archaeological investigation and this disturbance has revealed part
of a stone cist which would have held a cremation or inhumation. The southern
cairn includes an oval-shaped mound of stones measuring 9m by 6m and up to
0.4m high. Three large boulders on the south side of the monument are thought
to be the remains of a kerb which would have originally encircled the cairn.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
27767
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
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
