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Latitude: 55.3265 / 55°19'35"N
Longitude: -2.1796 / 2°10'46"W
OS Eastings: 388700.415147
OS Northings: 603612.975553
OS Grid: NT887036
Mapcode National: GBR F66V.XF
Mapcode Global: WHB0L.HD90
Entry Name: Two round cairns 880m north east of Wilkwood East
Scheduled Date: 3 July 2000
Source: Historic England
Source ID: 1018949
English Heritage Legacy ID: 28564
County: Northumberland
Civil Parish: Alwinton
Traditional County: Northumberland
Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Northumberland
Church of England Parish: Upper Coquetdale
Church of England Diocese: Newcastle
The monument includes the remains of two round cairns of Bronze Age date,
situated on a low terrace on the north bank of the Wilkwood Burn. The most
westerly of the two round cairns measures 4.5m in diameter and stands to a
maximum height of 0.5m. The most easterly of the cairns, which is situated 8m
north east of the first, measures 5m in diameter and stands to a maximum
height of 0.5m. The northern edge of this cairn has been disturbed by shell
fire.
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
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 disturbance to the one of the cairns, the two round cairns 880m
north east of Wilkwood East are reasonably well preserved and retain
significant archaeological deposits. They are good examples of small, less
prominently situated round cairns and will add to our knowledge of Bronze Age
settlement and activity in the region.
Source: Historic England
Books and journals
Charlton, B, Fifty centuries of Peace and War, (1996), 29
Source: Historic England
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