Ancient Monuments

History on the Ground

This site is entirely user-supported. See how you can help.

Platform cairn 180m northwest of Hensbarrow Farm

A Scheduled Monument in Roche, Cornwall

We don't have any photos of this monument yet. Why don't you be the first to send us one?

Upload Photo »

Approximate Location Map
Large Map »

If Google Street View is available, the image is from the best available vantage point looking, if possible, towards the location of the monument. Where it is not available, the satellite view is shown instead.

Coordinates

Latitude: 50.3825 / 50°22'57"N

Longitude: -4.8269 / 4°49'36"W

OS Eastings: 199117.949214

OS Northings: 57445.182423

OS Grid: SW991574

Mapcode National: GBR ZV.WTNL

Mapcode Global: FRA 08S1.1BR

Entry Name: Platform cairn 180m northwest of Hensbarrow Farm

Scheduled Date: 30 January 1980

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1007292

English Heritage Legacy ID: CO 1072

County: Cornwall

Civil Parish: Roche

Traditional County: Cornwall

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Cornwall

Church of England Parish: Roche

Church of England Diocese: Truro

Details

The monument includes a platform cairn, situated on the upper south west facing slopes of Hensbarrow Beacon, and between the extensive china clay works of Goonbarrow, Gunheath and Littlejohn's. The cairn survives as a low, flat-topped circular platform of stones and earth measuring approximately 22m in diameter with a peripheral rim bank on the platform of up to 0.5m high and 1.5m wide. There are three early excavation hollows in the centre, east and west of varying size. The cairn was first described by R Thomas in around 1850.

Sources: HER:-
PastScape Monument No:-430012

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Platform cairns are funerary monuments covering single or multiple burials and dating to the Early Bronze Age (c.2000-1600 BC). They were constructed as low flat-topped mounds of stone rubble up to 40m in external diameter. Some examples have other features, including peripheral banks and internal mounds, constructed on this platform. A kerb of edge-set stones sometimes bounds the edges of the platform, bank or mound, or all three. Platform cairns occur as isolated monuments, in small groups, or in cairn cemeteries. In the latter instances they are normally found alongside cairns of other types. Although no precise figure is available, current evidence indicates that there are less than 250 known examples of this monument class nationally. Despite partial early excavation, the platform cairn 180m northwest of Hensbarrow Farm survives comparatively well. It will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, longevity, territorial significance, social organisation, funerary and ritual practices and overall landscape context.

Source: Historic England

Other nearby scheduled monuments

AncientMonuments.uk is an independent online resource and is not associated with any government department. All government data published here is used under licence. Please do not contact AncientMonuments.uk for any queries related to any individual ancient or schedued monument, planning permission related to scheduled monuments or the scheduling process itself.

AncientMonuments.uk is a Good Stuff website.