Details

The monument includes a pair of prehistoric round barrows, one lying 20m north
of the other, with a post medieval boundary stone lying on the mound of the
northern barrow. The sites lie in a prominent position on the top of Helmsley
Moor.
The southern barrow has an earth and stone mound standing 1.5m high. It is
round in shape and 14m in diameter. This mound was surrounded by a ditch up
to 3m wide which has become filled in over the years and is no longer visible
as an earthwork. The centre of the mound has been excavated in antiquity. The
northern barrow has an earth and stone mound standing 1m high. It is round
in shape and 10m in diameter. On the east flank of this mound lies a later
boundary stone known as the Hanging Stone which formerly stood upright in the
centre of the mound. The stone is 3.3m long and 0.5m square in section and
has a large column of modern stones forming a cairn placed upon it. A second
large stone, 2m long, lies on the south side of the mound.
There are many similar barrows on this area of the Hambleton Hills. Many of
these lie in closely associated groups, particulary along the watersheds. They
provide evidence of territorial organisation marking divisions of land;
divisions which still remain as some parish or township boundaries.

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

Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments
dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most
examples belonging to the period 2400-1500 BC. They were constructed as
earthen or rubble mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered single or multiple
burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as cemeteries and often
acted as a focus for burials in later periods. Often superficially similar,
although differing widely in size, they exhibit regional variations in form
and a diversity of burial practices. There are over 10,000 surviving bowl
barrows recorded nationally (many more have already been destroyed), occurring
across most of lowland Britain. Often occupying prominent locations, they are
a major historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable
variation of form and longevity as a monument type provide important
information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisations amongst early
prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period
and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of
protection.

Despite disturbance both these barrows have survived well. Significant
information about the original form, burials placed within them and evidence
of earlier land use beneath the mounds will be preserved. The boundary stone
was a prominent landmark on the Moors and the name Hanging Stone may indicate
the site of gallows at this location.
Together with adjacent barrows this monument is thought to represent a
territorial marker. Similar groups of monuments are also known across the
north and central areas of the North York Moors, providing important insight
into burial practice. Such groupings of monuments offer important scope for
the study of the division of land for social, ritual and agricultural purposes
in different geographical areas during the prehistoric period.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Spratt, D A , 'Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology in North East Yorkshire' in Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology of North East Yorkshire, , Vol. BAR 104, (1993), 116-20
Other
Pacitto A, FMW REPORT, (1991)

Source: Historic England