Burnt mound at Knott Well 370m 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 burnt mound at Knott Well 370m north east of Stotley Grange survives 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 a large, prominent, burnt mound at Knott Well, which is a spring in rough grazing land north east of Stotley Grange. The mound measures 14m by 13m and is 2m high. It is partly grass and moss covered, but patches of burnt stone are exposed in its sides. There is a circular hollow area in its north side with a diameter of 7m. A second hollow nearer the spring probably represents the position of the trough. There are at least three 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:

34359

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

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

End of official list entry

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