Details

The monument includes a cairn approximately 8m in diameter, and 0.3m high. It
is situated on Hope Moor, on the summit of Arndale Hill. A tall modern stone
cairn has been built in the centre of the prehistoric cairn, reusing much of
the stone belonging to the original cairn. The remains of the prehistoric
cairn are now largely grassed over.

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.

Although this cairn has been disturbed, it retains evidence of its form and
location, and buried archaeological remains will survive below ground.
It will therefore contribute to our knowledge of prehistoric burial practice.
It is also unusual to find such burial sites at this height above sea level in
County Durham. The majority of cairns are located at lower heights. It forms
an important part of the prehistoric landscape of Hope Moor and the nearby
Barningham Moor where numerous other sites survive including cairns, carved
rocks, settlements and agricultural field systems. This site will therefore
contribute to studies of prehistoric land use.

Source: Historic England