Details

The monument comprises two small platform cairns, part of the Blacktor Downs
cairn group in the middle of Bodmin Moor.
Centred 12m apart on a WNW-ESE axis, both cairns survive as turf-covered low
stone mounds; the eastern cairn is 7m in diameter and 0.5m high, while the
western cairn is 6m diameter and 0.5m high. Both cairns have some of their
stone content visible beneath intermittent breaks in the turf cover. The
flattened irregular upper surfaces of the cairns show no evidence for ever
having been much higher, despite some recent disturbance in their central
areas, and they are considered to have originally formed low flat-topped
platforms, of mounded stone, termed platform cairns. The monument has not
been subject to any recorded excavation, the disturbed upper surfaces probably
being due to stone-robbing for wall-building. These are two of the five
cairns in the Blacktor Downs cairn group which lie 12-42m apart on the summit
plateau, near the middle of Bodmin Moor. The cairn group lies above a large
unenclosed hut circle settlement on the S slope of the Blacktor Downs, and its
associated field system on the SW slope.

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

Bodmin Moor, the largest of the Cornish granite uplands, has long been
recognised to have exceptional preservation of archaeological remains. The
quality and diversity of the evidence is such that the Moor has become the
subject of detailed archaeological survey and hence it forms one of the best
recorded upland landscapes in England. Of particular note are the extensive
relict landscapes of Prehistoric, medieval and post-medieval date. Together
these provide direct evidence for human exploitation of the Moor from the
earliest Prehistoric period onwards. The well-preserved and often visible
relationship between settlement sites, field systems, ceremonial and funerary
monuments as well as later industrial remains provides significant insights
into successive changes in the pattern of land use through time.

Round funerary cairns were constructed during the Bronze Age (c.2500-700 BC)
and consisted of mounds of stone, sometimes ditched, which covered single or
multiple burials. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major
visual element in the modern landscape. The considerable variation in
the size and form of cairns and their 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. These cairns are well preserved, have not
been excavated and form part of a small group of cairns. Their importance is
also enhanced by their close spatial and broadly contemporary association with
the large and well-preserved settlement site and field system on the S and SW
slopes of the Blacktor Downs.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Trahair, J E R, 'Cornish Archaeology' in A survey of cairns on Bodmin Moor, (1978), 3-24
Trahair, J E R, 'Cornish Archaeology' in A survey of cairns on Bodmin Moor, (1978), 3-24
Other
1/1991, Cornwall SMR entry for PRN 1769,
consulted 1/1991, Carter, A/RCHME, 1:2500 AP trancriptions for SX 1573 (cons. 1/1991),
consulted 1/1991, Cornwall SMR entry for PRN 1769.4,
consulted 1/1991, Cornwall SMR entry for PRN 1843,

Source: Historic England