Round cairn on Garleigh Hill, 790m north east of Lordenshaw

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.

Despite the fact that the upper parts have been robbed of stone, the round cairn on Garleigh Hill retains significant archaeological deposits. Taken together with the remains of further round cairns on the moorland to the west it will contribute to our understanding of Bronze Age settlement and activity in the area.

Details

The monument includes the remains of a round cairn of Bronze Age date, situated on the summit of the ridge known as Garleigh Hill where it commands extensive views in all directions. The round cairn is part of a wider group of prehistoric monuments including cairns and cup marked rocks which are the subject of separate schedulings. The round cairn is visible as a spread of stones 11m in diameter and stands to a maximum height of 0.3m. In the south western part of the cairn there is a large stone slab interpreted as the remains of a cover for a stone coffin or cist. Several other stone features on the hilltop are considered to be recent in date and have been constructed from material robbed from the upper surface of the round cairn.

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:

32727

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
NZ09NE 03,

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.