Details

The monument includes the remains of a Bronze Age round cairn situated on the summit of Windrigg Hill. The round cairn has a diameter of approximately 20m and a height of 1.5m. The cairn was partially excavated during the 19th century when a cist containing human bone was discovered. A field wall and an OS triangulation point within the area of the monument are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath is included.

SOURCES
PastScape Monument No:- 11780
NMR:- NY51NE9
Cumbria HER:- 1561

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

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.
Windrigg Hill round cairn, 440m south of High Murber survives as an earthwork and partial excavation has revealed it to contain archaeological deposits relating to its use as a funerary monument. The monument lies in a prominent landscape location and it is a good example. The monument provides insight into the character of funerary rituals during the Bronze Age.

Source: Historic England