Round cairn south of Cranberry Rock, 460m north east of Bog Cottage

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.

The round cairn south of Cranberry Rock is a well-preserved example of this class of monument. It is one of group of similar and broadly contemporary monuments on the summit of The Stiperstones. Together these monuments will provide significant information about the social organisation and ritual practices of the Bronze Age communities which inhabited this upland area.

Details

The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a round cairn on the boulder-strewn spine of The Stiperstones, south of a tor known as Cranberry Rock. The cairn is composed of angular blocks of stone placed on a rock outcrop, which is aligned north-south with its west face showing. The cairn measures about 7m north-south and 4m east-west, and survives to a maximum height of 1m. Material used in its construction was obtained from the surrounding clitter and from a ditch which surrounded the eastern half of the cairn. Although not visible at ground level, the ditch is believed to survive as a buried feature, about 1m in width.

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:

32296

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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