Reasons for Designation
Lundy is a small, steep sided island in the Bristol Channel, 16m north of
Hartland Point, north Devon. Aligned north-south, it is 6km long by 1km wide
and supports a predominately moorland vegetation. The 100m high cliffs and
tabular form give it a striking appearance, visible in clear weather from
parts of south west England and south Wales.
Lundy's remoteness and (until the 19th century construction of the Beach Road)
its inaccessibility, combined with a lack of shelter and cultivable soils, has
meant that it has escaped more recent occupation or development. It therefore
preserves a remarkable variety of archaeological sites from early prehistory
(c.8000 BC) onwards, representing evidence for habitation, fortification,
farming and industry. There are also archaeological remains in the waters
surrounding the island - over 150 shipwrecks are already recorded. Most of the
island's archaeology is well documented from detailed survey in the 1980s and
1990s.
Cairns are funerary monuments found typically on the upland moors of south
west England, northern Britain and Wales. They generally have mounds of earth
and small stones covering one or more burials which associated artefacts have
identified as being of Bronze Age date (2000-700 BC). Cairns are often
conspicuously sited and may be found close to other contemporary monument
classes, such as standing stones.
The cairns on Lundy together constitute an especially important group. They
survive in a landscape which has been little altered since prehistoric times
and they can therefore be clearly seen and understood in terms of the
topographic setting in which they were built.
Details
The monument includes a cairn 20m to the east of Tibbett's Lookout and clipped
on its western side by the construction of a parade strip and flagpole
surround.
The cairn is 20m in diameter and stands 0.4m high, built of small and medium
sized stones. It has been bisected by a trench 1.5m wide running north-south.
This may be the result of an excavation although no details are known. At
least half of the cairn survives undisturbed.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
27634
Legacy System:
RSM
End of official list entry
