Cairns at Winyards Nick, 680m WSW of Carl Wark Hillfort

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.

Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700BC) constructed as stone mounds covering single or multiple burials. They are a relatively common feature in upland areas and are the stone equivalents of 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. The cairns WSW of Carl Wark hillfort are complex examples. The dominant cairn is relatively undisturbed. The presence of two possible kerbs is relatively rare and the structure indicates that there are separate phases of construction. Further information on the structural history of the monument will survive as well as evidence of the burials placed within it. The monument also lies within an area rich in other prehistoric remains and will contribute to our understanding of the prehistoric use of these moorlands.

Details

The monument includes the remains of two or three stone cairns situated in a prominent location on shelving ground. The monument overlooks several prehistoric field systems, the subject of separate schedulings, in this area. The cairns lie in an unusual formation in that one (at the north end) appears to overlie the remains of one, or possibly two, other cairns. Alternatively, this may be a single cairn, or two cairns, to which a platform has been added on the southern side. The cairns are partially turf covered but much of the stonework is exposed. The whole complex of the remains is oval in shape, measuring approximately 12.5m by 6m. The most complete and dominant cairn is roughly circular and stands almost 1m high and is of 5.5m to 6m in diameter. It is mostly complete and in good condition, but shows signs of a slight disturbance at its centre. To the south of the dominant cairn are two sub-rectangular kerbs partially overlain by loose weathered stone. This may be tumble from the dominant cairn or, more probably, the remains of a second cairn which appears to partly underlie the more complete cairn to the north. This second cairn stands to a height of 0.3m. The imposition of the dominant cairn on the other two appears significant and may indicate that it had a different function. It is possible that the two smaller original cairns were originally clearance cairns with a later funerary cairn later constructed to overlie them.

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:

29802

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Barnatt, J W, Derbyshire Archaeological Journal in Bronze Age Remains on the East Moors of the Peak District, Vol. 106, (1986)

Other
Barnatt, J W, Peak District Barrow Survey, 1989, unpublished survey

End of official list entry

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