Prehistoric cairnfield 1.0km ESE of Low Gillerthwaite

Summary

A prehistoric cairnfield located 1.0km ESE of Low Gillerthwaite.

Reasons for Designation

The prehistoric cairnfield 1.0km ESE of Low Gillerthwaite is scheduled for the following principal reasons:

* Survival: it survives well with features standing up to 1.5m high:
* Potential: it will enhance our understanding of the nature of prehistoric settlement patterns in Ennerdale and the wider upland landscape
* Group Value: the monument is associated with numerous contemporary and non-contemporary monuments in the Ennerdale valley
* Documentation: our understanding of prehistoric settlement and agriculture practices in Ennerdale is significantly enhanced by the archaeological surveys undertaken between 1995-97.

History

Cairnfields - scattered heaps of stones and boulders generally dating from the second millennium BC although later examples are also known - often represent the earliest examples of prehistoric unenclosed field systems and are generally found in upland settings where they result from surface clearance in advance of, or as a result of, agricultural activities.

In 1925-6 the Forestry Commission began manual tree planting on almost 3640ha of land in Ennerdale.

This prehistoric cairnfield 1.0km ESE of Low Gillerthwaite forms part of a multi-period historic landscape which represents long-term management and exploitation of the Ennerdale Valley from the Bronze Age to the present day. It was recorded during archaeological surveys of the Ennerdale Valley between 1995-7 and in 2003.

Details

The monument includes the upstanding and buried remains of a small prehistoric cairnfield situated on a raised plateau above the alluvial mire on the north side of the River Liza 1.0km ESE of Low Gillerthwaite. The cairnfield includes nine oval-shaped clearance cairns up to 1.5m high and varying between 4m-10m long by 1m-5m wide.

Extent of Scheduling

The scheduling includes the upstanding and buried remains of the prehistoric cairnfield together with the archaeologically sensitive ground between all the cairns as surveyed by Lancaster University Archaeological Unit between 1995-1997. The protection also includes a 10m boundary beyond the edge of the outermost cairns which is considered essential for the support and preservation of the cairnfield and thus provides a rectangular area measuring 90m by 45m.

Sources

Other
Lancaster University Archaeological Unit, Ennerdale Forest, Cumbria. Archaeological Survey. Final Report, March 1998,
Oxford Archaeology North, Ennerdale, West Cumbria. Historic Landscape Survey, November 2003,

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