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 the remains of a large cairn located to the south west
of a small escarpment on Eyam Moor. Its relatively isolated position, size
and complexity indicate that it was a prehistoric funerary structure of some
importance to the local region. The cairn also incorporates a cup marked
stone within its internal structure.
The cairn measures 18m by 15m and stands approximately 0.8m high. The
centre of the cairn has been disturbed where a large quantity of the inner
stonework has been removed, although much of its outer structure remains,
especially on the south side, where part of the top of the monument still
survives intact. The shape of the surviving parts of the cairn indicate that
it was of the flat-topped variety of which only a few survive in the local
area. Where exposed, the cairn appears to have a gritstone kerb. Despite
previous disturbance to the cairn, buried remains are likely to survive
intact.
On the northern side of the disturbed area of the cairn is a cup marked stone
of some complexity. The carved boulder stands upright and is earthfast and
bears a multiplicity of small carvings similar to a small number of other
carvings found in the local area and elsewhere.
The monument is interpreted as a funerary cairn dating to the Bronze Age and
is associated with contemporary evidence for settlement and agriculture
elsewhere in the immediate vicinity.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
31241
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
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
