Details

The monument is a round cairn located on the summit of Reed Hill. It includes
a slightly oval-shaped mound of partly turf-covered stones up to 1.4m high
with maximum dimensions of 16m by 15m. Limited early 20th century excavation
of the cairn located the primary central gritstone cist containing a mass of
cremated human bones. A secondary cist was located but found to have been
previously emptied.

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 minor disturbance to the monument by early 20th century excavation,
the round cairn on Reed Hill survives reasonably well. This excavation located
human remains, and further evidence of interments will exist within the mound
and upon the old landsurface beneath.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Andrew, W J, 'Trans Lancs & Chesh Ant Soc' in , , Vol. 30, (1912), 184-94
Other
Darvill,T., MPP Single Monument Class Description - Bowl Barrows, (1988)

Source: Historic England