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Round cairn, 300m south east of Fiddlers Wood

A Scheduled Monument in Rochester, Northumberland

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Coordinates

Latitude: 55.2811 / 55°16'51"N

Longitude: -2.1887 / 2°11'19"W

OS Eastings: 388109.918503

OS Northings: 598566.473716

OS Grid: NY881985

Mapcode National: GBR F74C.YP

Mapcode Global: WHB0S.CJ09

Entry Name: Round cairn, 300m south east of Fiddlers Wood

Scheduled Date: 12 April 1994

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1008564

English Heritage Legacy ID: 25062

County: Northumberland

Civil Parish: Rochester

Traditional County: Northumberland

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Northumberland

Church of England Parish: Otterburn St John the Evangelist

Church of England Diocese: Newcastle

Details

The monument includes the remains of a round cairn, known as Hare Cairn, of
Bronze Age date situated on gently sloping, west facing moorland. The cairn,
composed of stone and earth measures 18m north east to south west by 21m north
west to south east and stands to a maximum height of 0.8m. The cairn is
bounded on the east, south and south west sides by a slight stony bank which
is thought to represent spoil removed from the cairn in the 19th century.
There is an open cist or stone coffin, 5m east of the cairn centre, formed of
large flat stones; it measures 1.3m by 0.9m and is 0.5m deep. Two further
depressions to the south of the centre of the cairn are the sites of two
additional cists which were uncovered in the 19th century, during stone
robbing of the cairn, and found to contain the remains of ashes and bones.

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.

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.

Despite the fact that the cairn near Fiddlers Wood was partially damaged
during the 19th century, it survives reasonably well and retains significant
archaeological deposits. Evidence of the manner of construction, and the
nature and duration of its use will be preserved within and beneath the mound.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
MacLaughlan, H, Memoir to Survey of Eastern Branch of the Watling Street, (1864), 49
Other
NY 89 NE 09,

Source: Historic England

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