Details

The monument includes the remains of a round cairn of Bronze Age date situated
on a slight rise on the left bank of the River Font. The cairn, constructed of
river cobbles and earth, has been partly excavated at its centre and its
overall diameter has become spread to a maximum of 32m. It stands to a maximum
height of 1.5m around the edges. The cairn was excavated in 1826 when a cist
or stone coffin with a water worn stone lid was recovered which contained the
remains of a burial. The present location of the cist is unknown.

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.

Despite some damage by antiquarian excavation, the round cairn near Bellion
Farm 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
Trevelyan, WC, 'Archaeologia Aeliana 1 ser 2' in Archaeologia Aeliana 1 ser 2, (1832), 207-8
Other
NZ 09 SE 03,

Source: Historic England