Details

The monument includes the remains of a round cairn of Bronze Age date situated
on a slight rise above the old course of the River Font. The cairn,
constructed of river cobbles and earth, is 14m in diameter and stands to a
maximum height of 1.5m. Unlike the two other cairns in the vicinity this cairn
is apparently undisturbed by antiquarian excavation.

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.

The cairn near Bellion Farm is well preserved and retains significant
archaeological deposits. The importance of the monument is enhanced by the
survival of other cairns in the vicinity which taken together will contribute
to any study of Bronze Age settlement and activity in the area.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Hodgson, J, The Victoria History of the County of Northumberland: Volume 1 part 2, (1827), 321
Other
NZ 09 SE 03,

Source: Historic England