Details

The monument comprises a large, circular, funerary ring cairn, part of a
linear cairn group near the summit of Caradon Hill on SE Bodmin Moor.
The cairn survives as a large circular ring, 24m external diameter, 4-5m wide
and up to 1m high, comprising heaped small stones with occasional larger
boulders, an arrangement typical of the cairn type termed a ring cairn. Three
of the larger boulders remain as upright slabs within the cairn's N sector,
forming the remains of a stone kerb within the body of the cairn. The
interior of the ring cairn is almost stone-free, with no evidence for previous
disturbance, and conforms in both level and slope with the external ground
surface. This cairn has been surveyed on several occasions since 1907, but
has never been subject to any recorded excavation. It lies near the summit of
Caradon Hill, at the NE end of a linear cairn group which extends to the SW
along the side of the hill's summit and contains ten recorded cairns of
several types typical of the Early and Middle Bronze Age (c.2000 - 1000 BC).
The modern post-and-wire fence around the transmitter station is excluded from
the scheduling but the land beneath it is included.

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 been 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.

Ring cairns are ritual monuments comprising a circular bank of stones
surrounding a hollow central area. The bank may be kerbed on the inside, and
sometimes on the outside as well, with small uprights or boulders. Excavation
has revealed the presence of pits, some containing cremation burials, within
the central area. In common with other cairn types on Bodmin Moor, no ditches
have been recorded with ring-cairns in this area. Ring cairns are
contemporary with other funerary monuments on Bodmin Moor dating to the Bronze
Age (c.2000 - 750 BC). Although no precise figure is available, current
evidence indicates that there are only between 250 and 500 known examples of
this monument class nationally. As a relatively rare class exhibiting
considerable variation in form, a substantial proportion of surviving examples
are considered worthy of preservation. The ring cairn on Caradon Hill lies at
the upper end of the known size-range for this monument type; it survives
particularly well and has never been excavated. Its importance is enhanced by
its position within a cairn group which contains a variety of different types
of burial cairn, demonstrating well the diversity of burial practice during
the Bronze Age.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
3/1991, Cornwall SMR entry for PRN 1409.04 and .12,
AM 7 scheduling description and maplet for CO 541d, Consulted 3/1991
Consulted 3/1991, Carter, A/RCHME, 1:2500 Air Photo Transcripton: SX 2770 (Consulted 3/1991),
Consulted 3/1991, Cornwall SMR entry for PRN 1409.08,
Consulted 3/1991, Cornwall SMR entry for PRN 1409.10,
Title: Ordnance Survey 6": 1 mile Map: Cornwall XXVIII NW
Source Date: 1907
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:

Source: Historic England