Bronze Age round house on Fredden Hill 880m south west of Bell's Valley

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 Bronze Age round house on Fredden Hill is resonably well preserved and retains significant archaeological deposits. It lies within a wider landscape of archaeological sites whose remains are well preserved. It will contribute to any study of the wider settlement pattern in the northern Cheviots at this time.

Details

This monument includes the remains of a prehistoric circular enclosure situated on the north west slopes of Fredden Hill. Extensive views to the north and west are now obscured by afforestation. The enclosure is defined by a single bank of earth and stone 2m wide and up to 0.2m high with an entrance 4m wide in the west side. The enclosure is interpreted as a round house of Bronze Age date. Extensive field systems, also believed to be of Bronze Age date, lie to the north and west of Fredden Hill and are the subject of a separate scheduling.

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:

29343

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
NT 92 NE 86,
University of Newcastle AP Collection, T Gates, NT/9527/I, (1978)

End of official list entry

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