Details

The monument includes a cairn of Bronze Age date situated on a large
promontory of land formed by the confluence of the Coal and Swin burns. The
cairn, constructed of large stones and earth, measures 20m in diameter and is
1.4m high. The ditch, dug to provide material for the construction of the
mound, is no longer visible but survives as a buried feature 2m across. The
cairn was partially excavated in 1929 when a stone cist containing a cremated
body and the remains of a Bronze Age pot and a stone ball were uncovered.

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.

Although the cairn has been subject to partial excavation in the past,
disturbance is limited and archaeological deposits survive well. Evidence of
the manner of construction and the nature and duration of use will be
preserved within and beneath the mound. The cairn is one of a small group in
this area and will retain information on its relationship to other members of
this group.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Ball, T, 'Proc Soc Antiq Ncle 4 ser 4 1924-30' in Proc Soc Antiq Ncle 4 ser 4 1924-30, (1930), 78-81
Other
No. 5524,

Source: Historic England