Two burnt mounds 350m north east of Stotley Grange

Reasons for Designation

A burnt mound is an accumulation of burnt (fire-crazed) stones, ash and charcoal, usually sited next to a river or lake. On excavation, some form of trough or basin capable of holding water is normally found in close association with the mound. The size of the mound can vary considerably; small examples may be under 0.5m high and less than 10m in diameter, larger examples may exceed 3m in height and be 35m in diameter. The shape of the mound ranges from circular to crescentic. The associated trough or basin may be found within the body of the mound or, more usually, immediately adjacent to it. At sites which are crescentic in shape the trough is normally found within the `arms' of the crescent and the mound has the appearance of having developed around it. The main phase of use of burnt mounds spans the Early, Middle and Late Bronze Age, a period of around 1000 years. The function of the mounds has been a matter of some debate, but it appears that cooking, using heated stones to boil water in a trough or tank, is the most likely use. Some excavated sites have revealed several phases of construction, indicating that individual sites were used more than once. Burnt mounds are found widely scattered throughout the British Isles, with around 100 examples identified in England. As a rare monument type which provides an insight into life in the Bronze Age, all well-preserved examples will normally be identified as nationally important.

The two burnt mounds 350m north east of Stotley Grange survive well and will retain important archaeological information concerning Bronze Age beliefs and practices. There are several other burnt mounds in the locality, and together they form part of a more extensive prehistoric landscape in Upper Teesdale which includes burnt mounds, cairns, field systems and hut circles.

Details

The monument includes two burnt mounds north east of Stotley Grange. They are close together on boggy rough grazing land east of an animal pen, one on each side of Knottwell Sike. The more southerly mound is grass-covered, 12m in diameter and about 0.8m high. It has a slight central hollow partly filled in with modern builders' rubble. Molehills on the burnt mound contain burnt stone and large quantities of charcoal. The more northerly burnt mound is on the opposite side of Knottwell Sike. It is grass and moss covered, measuring 6m by 7m and 1m high. It has a slight central hollow marking the position of the trough. There are at least two other burnt mounds in this pasture which are the subjects of separate schedulings.

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:

34358

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
burnt mounds near Stotley Grange, Laurie, T, Burnt Mounds, (2000)

End of official list entry

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