Stone hut circle settlement in Clayton Wood on the south west side of Iveson Drive

Reasons for Designation

Stone hut circles and hut circle settlements were the dwelling places of prehistoric farmers. Most date from the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). The stone- based round-houses consist of low walls or banks enclosing a circular floor area; the remains of the turf, thatch or heather roofs are not preserved. The huts may occur singly or in small or large groups and may lie in the open or be enclosed by a bank of earth or stone. Frequently traces of their associated field systems may be found immediately around them. These may be indicated by areas of clearance cairns and/or the remains of field walls and other enclosures. The longevity of use of hut circle settlements and their relationship with other monument types provides important information on the diversity of social organisation and farming practices amongst prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.

The stone hut circle settlement in Clayton Wood survives well. It is part of a wider area of prehistoric settlement which includes the stone hut circle settlement in Iveson Wood nearby, the subject of a separate scheduling.

Details

The monument includes an enclosed stone hut circle settlement in Clayton Wood, between Woodside Quarry and Iveson Drive. It consists of an irregular rubble- banked enclosure with a probable hut circle at its east corner, and with rubble and orthostatic field walls attached to it. The enclosure bank is 3m wide and 0.3m high and is made of sandstone rubble. There is a mound of sandstone rubble at the side of a modern footpath which crosses the enclosure; this may represent the disturbed remains of an internal division of the enclosure. The probable hut circle lies at the east corner of the enclosure, and takes the form of a sub-circular hollow bounded on its south and east sides by a slight stony bank. Substantial remains of prehistoric field walls are attached to the north and east sides of the enclosure. These are formed of rubble, 3m wide, faced on both sides with orthostats. Additional, less distinct, prehistoric field boundaries are visible west of the enclosure, from which stone may have been removed to build modern walls such as the wall on the west edge of the monument, and these are also included in the scheduling.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

31527

Legacy System:

RSM

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