Wheeldale Howe

Reasons for Designation

Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They were constructed as stone mounds covering single or multiple burials. These burials may be placed within the mound in stone-lined compartments called cists. In some cases the cairn was surrounded by a ditch. Often occupying prominent locations, cairns are a major visual element in the modern landscape. They are a relatively common feature of the uplands and are the stone equivalent of the earthen round barrows of the lowlands. Their considerable variation in form and longevity as a monument type provide important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.

Despite limited disturbance, Wheeldale Howe has survived well. Significant information about the original form of the cairn and the burials placed within it will be preserved. Evidence for earlier land use and the contemporary environment will also survive beneath the mound. Together with other burial monuments in the area this cairn is thought to represent a territorial marker. Similar monument groups are known across the North York Moors, to the east and to the west, and they provide valuable insight into burial practice and land division for social and ritual purposes.

Details

The monument includes a round cairn which is situated on Middle Jurassic sandstone on the North York Moors. It occupies a prominent ridge-top position between Wheeldale Moor and Egton High Moor.

The cairn has a well-defined sub-circular mound constructed from stone rubble, which measures up to 21m in diameter and stands up to 1.5m high. Partial excavation in the past has left a hollow in the centre of the mound. To the north of the centre there is a small modern walkers' cairn on the top of the mound.

The cairn is one of a number in the area which lie on the central watershed of the North York Moors. It is surrounded by many other prehistoric monuments, particularly, those associated with burials.

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:

35910

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Spratt, D A, Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology in North East Yorkshire in Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology of North East Yorkshire, (1993)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.