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Three round barrows known as Robin Hood's Butts, 460m south west of Stoupe Brow Farm

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Heritage Category:: Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number:: 1019708
Date first listed:: 15-Nov-1934

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number:: 1019708
Date first listed:: 15-Nov-1934
Date of most recent amendment:: 04-Jul-2002

Location

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:: North Yorkshire (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Fylingdales and Hawsker-cum-Stainsacre
National Park:: NORTH YORK MOORS
National Grid Reference:: NZ 96249 01932

Reasons for Designation

Round barrows are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most examples belonging to the period 2400-1500 BC. They were constructed as earthen mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered single or multiple burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as cemeteries and often acted as a focus of burials in later periods. Often superficially similar, although differing widely in size, they exhibit regional variations in form and a diversity of burial practices. There are over 10,000 surviving examples recorded nationally (many more have already been destroyed), occurring across most of Britain, including the Wessex area where it is often possible to classify them more closely, for example as bowl or bell barrows. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable variation in form and longevity as a monument type provide important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisations amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.

The three round barrows known as Robin Hood's Butts, 460m south west of Stoupe Brow Farm have survived well. Significant information about the original form of the barrows, the burials placed within them and their relationship with other monuments in the area will be preserved. Evidence of earlier land use will also survive beneath the barrow mounds.

Details

The monument includes three round barrows arranged in a triangular formation and the ground between them in which unmarked burials and other archaeological remains may survive. The monument is located in a prominent position on the crest of Stoupe Brow on the north eastern edge of Howdale Moor. This is the easternmost extent of the sandstone, heather covered moor characteristic of the North York Moors. Today the moor is little used but archaeological evidence indicates that this has not always been the case. The prehistoric period in particular saw extensive agricultural use of the area. It was also used for burials and activities associated with the carving of patterns on exposed rock. Remains of these activities survive today.

Each barrow has an earth and stone mound. These stand up to 110m apart. The northern barrow mound measures 18m in diameter and is 0.75m in height. The western barrow mound measures 18m in diameter and is 1m in height. The eastern barrow measures 17m in diameter and is 0.9m in height. All three barrow mounds were partially excavated by Canon Greenwell in the 1890s. The excavations uncovered cremation burials and associated grave goods. These works have left a hole in the centre of each mound.

Each mound is surrounded by a ditch up to 3m wide which has been filled in and is no longer visible as an earthwork. These barrows are known by the name Robin Hood's Butts.

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:: 34389
Legacy System:: RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Smith, M J B, Excavated Bronze Age Burial Mounds of North East Yorkshire, (1997), 1-38

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.