Reasons for Designation
The East Moors in Derbyshire includes all the gritstone moors east of the
River Derwent. It covers an area of 105 sq km, of which around 63% is open
moorland and 37% is enclosed. As a result of recent and on-going
archaeological survey, the East Moors area is becoming one of the best
recorded upland areas in England. On the enclosed land the archaeological
remains are fragmentary, but survive sufficiently well to show that early
human activity extended beyond the confines of the open moors.
On the open moors there is significant and well-articulated evidence over
extensive areas for human exploitation of the gritstone uplands from the
Neolithic to the post-medieval periods. Bronze Age activity accounts for the
most intensive use of the moorlands. Evidence for it includes some of the
largest and best preserved field systems and cairnfields in northern England
as well settlement sites, numerous burial monuments, stone circles and other
ceremonial remains which, together, provide a detailed insight into life in
the Bronze Age. Also of importance is the well preserved and often visible
relationship between the remains of earlier and later periods since this
provides an insight into successive changes in land use through time.
A large number of the prehistoric sites on the moors, because of their rarity
in a national context, excellent state of preservation and inter-connections,
will be identified as nationally important.
Details
The monument includes a prehistoric cairnfield and an adjacent burial cairn
or barrow. The cairnfield was created as the result of land clearance for
agriculture during the Bronze Age.
The site occupies a well-drained ridge of moorland on the East Moors of
Derbyshire. There are between 31 and 34 cairns of various sizes, the majority
ranging between 2m and 4m in diameter, although there are one or two larger
examples of up to 5.5m in diameter. Many of the cairns are circular, but
others are elongated where they may have been associated with previous field
boundaries. The cairns were constructed from cleared stones gathered from the
surrounding area. Although one or two of the cairns show slight disturbances,
the majority are complete examples. Also associated with land clearance are
slight traces of lynchets and probable field banks of stone and turf. These
indicate that the area was likely to have been divided into field plots,
created by debris thrown against fences or hedges erected as field boundaries.
At the north western end of the cairnfield stands the remains of a burial
cairn or barrow. The cairn measures approximately 9.5m in diameter and stands
about 0.5m high. Its centre has been robbed of some of its stones, probably
for post-medieval wall building. The integrity of the remains indicates that
buried archaeological features, including human burial remains, may survive
below ground. The cairn is probably Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age in date
and may date from the earlier phases of settlement on these moorlands.
Contained within the area of protection, and passing through the cairnfield,
are several hollow ways, in part used as walkers' footpaths.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
31243
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
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
