Details

The monument includes a large cairn, approximately 14m in diameter and 1.5m
high. It is situated on Barningham Moor, south of Cross Gill, and 1.05km WNW
of How Tallon. An accurate National Grid Reference is NZ 04762 07743.
The cairn is composed mainly of limestone rubble with a small amount of
sandstone, mostly grassed over. It has a slight central depression which may
indicate some past disturbance. It is subsiding into a series of sinkholes on
its south east, south and south west sides.

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.

This cairn survives well, and forms an important part of the prehistoric
landscape of Barningham Moor, which includes numerous other cairns, carved
rocks, settlements and evidence for the agricultural use of the land. This
site will therefore contribute to studies of such prehistoric landscapes and
the changing patterns of land use over time.

Source: Historic England