Details

The monument includes the remains of a Bronze Age round cairn situated on the
top of a natural hillock. The cairn, visible as a large mound of stone and
earth, measures 25m in diameter and stands to a maximum height of 2.6m. The
cairn was investigated by limited excavation in 1925 revealing the remains of
what is thought to be stone walling 0.8m high within the cairn, and in
addition several flint flakes were recovered. Documents refer to the cairn as
the site of a beacon in 1549, one of a line of such beacon steads used as
signalling devices during the border warfare of the Middle Ages. The site of
the cairn is also referred to as the location of encampments in 1341 and
1643-4.
The small brick building which has been constructed on the south west part of
the mound and all fences which cross the monument are excluded from the
scheduling, although the ground beneath these features 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

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 of the fact that the cairn at Heddon Laws was partly excavated during
the 1920s, it is reasonably well preserved and retains significant
archaeological deposits.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
NZ 16 NW 26,

Source: Historic England