Reasons for Designation
The Cumbrian uplands comprise large areas of remote mountainous terrain, much
of which is largely open fellside. As a result of archaeological surveys
between 1980 and 1990 within the Lake District National Park, these fells have
become one of the best recorded upland areas in England. On the open fells
there is sufficient well preserved and understood evidence over extensive
areas for human exploitation of these uplands from the Neolithic to the post-
medieval period. On the enclosed land and within forestry the archaeological
remains are fragmentary, but they survive sufficiently well to show that human
activity extended beyond the confines of the open fells. Bronze Age activity
accounts for the most extensive use of the area, and evidence for it includes
some of the largest and best preserved field systems and cairn fields in
England, as well as settlement sites, numerous burial monuments, stone circles
and other ceremonial remains. Taken together, their remains can provide a
detailed insight into life in the later prehistoric period. Of additional
importance is the well-preserved and often visible relationship between the
remains of earlier and later periods, since this provides an understanding of
changes in land use through time. Because of their rarity in a national
context, excellent state of preservation and inter-connections, most
prehistoric monuments on the Lake District fells will be identified as
nationally important.
Details
The monument includes the earthworks and buried remains of Crosby Gill
prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system, and a dispersed medieval
settlement and associated lynchets 450m west of Crosbythwaite. It is located
on gently sloping enclosed land on the hillside west of Crosby Gill and
represents evidence for the prehistoric and medieval exploitation of this
landscape.
The prehistoric cairnfield includes 28 circular and oval-shaped clearance
cairns up to 0.9m high; the circular cairns measure between 2.1m to 7m in
diameter while the oval-shaped cairns measure between 4.4m to 6.3m long by
2.3m to 4.9m wide. The associated prehistoric field system consists of two
irregularly-shaped stone-banked enclosures. The northern of these enclosures
is centred at SD18649507 and measures approximately 70m by 60m internally. The
enclosure is open on its south east side and contains a semi-circular
structure within its south western corner which has been partly disturbed by
construction of a later building platform. This structure appears to have an
entrance on its eastern side and may originally have been a small enclosure or
a large hut circle. Internally there are three clearance cairns within the
main prehistoric enclosure. A small `D'-shaped enclosure with an entrance on
its eastern side is attached to the outer wall on the prehistoric enclosure's
north east side; this enclosure may be an original feature or it may be
associated with a later building platform constructed immediately adjacent and
within the prehistoric enclosure. The southern prehistoric enclosure is
centred at SD18559482 and measures approximately 90m by 60m internally. It has
an entrance on its western side and contains three clearance cairns. A
sub-rectangular annexe with an entrance on its western side is attached to the
northern side of this enclosure.
The dispersed medieval settlement includes six building platforms, each
consisting of a rectangular terrace cut into the hillslope. The most prominent
is located at SD18589509; adjacent to this building platform is a stone-walled
enclosure measuring approximately 15 sq m with an entrance on its north side.
Another building platform lies about 20m to the north of this enclosure while
two more building platform are located about 30m to the south. The northern of
these two building platforms lies immediately outside the western corner of
the northern prehistoric enclosure, while the southern building platform
partly overlies an earlier structure situated within the prehistoric
enclosure's south western corner. Another building platform lies adjacent to
the eastern wall of the prehistoric enclosure. The remaining building platform
is situated at SD16619496 immediately east of a cluster of clearance cairns
and short lengths of stone walling. Associated with the dispersed medieval
settlement are strip lynchets characteristic of medieval cultivation. One of
the lynchets is centred at about SD18559517 while a group of four lynchets are
centred further downhill at about SD18659520 and run along the contour and
across the hillslope.
The boundary of a modern fir plantation is excluded from the scheduling,
although the ground beneath it is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
34972
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
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
