Ancient Monuments

History on the Ground

This site is entirely user-supported. See how you can help.

Shieling north of Jerrycalf Rigg

A Scheduled Monument in Kingwater, Cumbria

We don't have any photos of this monument yet. Why don't you be the first to send us one?

Upload Photo »

Approximate Location Map
Large Map »

If Google Street View is available, the image is from the best available vantage point looking, if possible, towards the location of the monument. Where it is not available, the satellite view is shown instead.

Coordinates

Latitude: 55.0529 / 55°3'10"N

Longitude: -2.5756 / 2°34'32"W

OS Eastings: 363325.053427

OS Northings: 573310.877197

OS Grid: NY633733

Mapcode National: GBR BBG0.5G

Mapcode Global: WH90M.D8R6

Entry Name: Shieling north of Jerrycalf Rigg

Scheduled Date: 22 May 1995

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1013949

English Heritage Legacy ID: 25143

County: Cumbria

Civil Parish: Kingwater

Traditional County: Cumberland

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Cumbria

Church of England Parish: Gilsland St Mary Magdalene

Church of England Diocese: Carlisle

Details

The monument includes the remains of a shieling of medieval date situated on
the edge of the Butter Burn. The shieling, orientated north to south, is
visible as the footings of a rectangular stone building measuring 6.5m by
4.5m. The walls are up to 1m wide and stand to a maximum height of 0.5m. The
shieling is divided internally into two rooms of equal size with a clear
entrance through the west wall into the more southerly room. This shieling is
one of many in this area which is known to have formed part of the extensive
summer pastures serving the permanent settlements of several local manors.

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

Shielings are small seasonally occupied huts which were built to provide
shelter for herdsmen who tended animals grazing summer pasture on upland or
marshland. These huts reflect a system called transhumance, whereby stock was
moved in spring from lowland pasture around the permanently occupied farms to
communal upland grazing during the warmer summer months. Settlement patterns
reflecting transhumance are known from the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC)
onwards. However, the construction of herdsmen's huts in a form distinctive
from the normal dwelling houses of farms, only appears from the early medieval
period onwards (from AD 450), when the practice of transhumance is also known
from documentary sources and, notably, place-name studies. Their construction
appears to cease at the end of the 16th century. Shielings vary in size but
are commonly small and may occur singly or in groups. They have a simple sub-
rectangular or ovoid plan normally defined by drystone walling, although
occasional turf-built structures are known, and the huts are sometimes
surrounded by a ditch. Most examples have a single undivided interior but two
roomed examples are known. Some examples have adjacent ancillary structures,
such as pens, and may be associated with a midden. Some are also contained
within a small ovoid enclosure. Shielings are reasonably common in the uplands
but frequently represent the only evidence for medieval settlement and farming
practice here. Those examples which survive well and which help illustrate
medieval land use in an area are considered to be nationally important.

The shieling north of Jerrycalf Rigg is reasonably well preserved and retains
significant archaeological deposits. It is one of a group of shielings
situated along the River Irthing and its tributaries, which taken together,
will add greatly to our knowledge and understanding of the wider Border
settlement and economy during this period.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Ramm, H G , Shielings and Bastles, (1970), 14, 27

Source: Historic England

Other nearby scheduled monuments

AncientMonuments.uk is an independent online resource and is not associated with any government department. All government data published here is used under licence. Please do not contact AncientMonuments.uk for any queries related to any individual ancient or schedued monument, planning permission related to scheduled monuments or the scheduling process itself.

AncientMonuments.uk is a Good Stuff website.