Details

The monument includes a cairn of Bronze Age date situated in a saddle on a
ridge of moorland. It has extensive views over the Coquet valley to the south
and west. The cairn is very well preserved and measures 8m in diameter and
survives to over 1m high. The mound is mainly constructed of stone and earth,
and traces of several large stones can be detected on the edge of the mound on
the east and western sides.

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.

The cairn north east of Old Rothbury survives well and is a good example of
its type. Its archaeological deposits are undisturbed and contain valuable
evidence relating to the construction of the cairn and the nature and duration
of its use. Additionally, it is one of a group of Prehistoric monuments which
survive on this area of moorland and will contribute to our understanding of
Prehistoric settlement and activity in the area.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
No. 815,

Source: Historic England