Unenclosed Bronze Age hut circle and clearance cairn 800m ESE of Langlee

Reasons for Designation

Unenclosed hut circle settlements were the dwelling places of prehistoric farmers. The hut circles take a variety of forms. Some are stone based and are visible as low walls or banks enclosing a circular floor area. Others were timber constructions and only the shallow groove in which the timber uprights used in the wall construction stood can now be identified; this may survive as a slight earthwork feature or may be visible on aerial photographs. Some can only be identified by the artificial earthwork platforms created as level stances for the houses. The number of houses in a settlement varies between one and twelve. In areas where they were constructed on hillslopes the platforms on which the houses stood are commonly arrayed in tiers along the contour of the slope. Several settlements have been shown to be associated with organised field plots, the fields being defined by low stony banks or indicated by groups of clearance cairns. Many unenclosed settlements have been shown to date to the Bronze Age but it is also clear that they were still being constructed and used in the Early Iron Age. They provide an important contrast to the various types of enclosed and defended settlements which were also being constructed and used around the same time. Their longevity of use and their relationship with other monument types provides important information on the diversity of social organisation and farming practices amongst prehistoric communities.

The unenclosed Bronze Age hut circle, associated clearance cairn and field bank survive in reasonable condition and will retain significant archaeological deposits. Their importance is enhanced by proximity to a larger prehistoric field system and unenclosed settlement to the north east, which together form the subject of a separate scheduling (SM 29330). They are situated within an area of clustered sites of whose remains are well preserved and form part of a wider archaeological landscape. They will contribute to any study of the settlement and land use patterns during this period.

Details

The monument includes the remains of an unenclosed hut circle of Bronze Age date situated on gently sloping ground to the south west of Brands Hill. It appears to be associated with a clearance bank and a clearance cairn. The hut circle measures 8m in diameter externally and is defined by a bank, about 1m wide and 0.3m high, composed of large stones and earth. There is no apparent entrance but attached to the east side is a 12m length of bank, approximately 1.5m wide by 0.3m high and probably associated with field clearance. A small clearance cairn about 3m in diameter and 0.3m high lies 5m beyond the end of the bank. The hut circle is located adjacent to a discontinuous slight bank, or lynchet, which runs for several hundred metres, and is characterised at this point by large stones in a scarped face. A sample only of this feature has been included within the scheduling as its relationship to the hut circle is not clearly understood.

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:

29324

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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