Details

The monument includes a prehistoric round cairn and associated clearance cairn
occupying gently sloping, stony ground to the west of the northern crag of
Crook Hill.

The round cairn comprises a low, grass-covered mound measuring 6.5m by 6m and
standing 0.3m high. The location of the monument provides extensive views over
the Woodlands valley to the south west. The monument is associated with a
further funerary cairn that lies between the two crags of Crook Hill and is
clearly visible from this location. Although there are minor disturbances to
the centre and southern side of the monument, most of the cairn remains intact
and will contain undisturbed archaeological remains. The form and location of
the cairn indicates that it is funerary in function and Bronze Age in date.

A smaller cairn stands 35m to the south west and slightly downslope of the
round cairn. The cairn measures 3m by 2m. This feature is interpreted as a
clearance cairn constructed as part of the process of improving the land
surface for agriculture. The clearance cairn shows some signs of disturbance
although much of the feature remains intact. This cairn is the only feature
of its type identified on this area of moorland and may signify an
unsuccessful attempt at agriculture. Alternatively the cairn may represent
the surviving part of a larger Bronze Age cairnfield that has subsequently
been destroyed by robbing for walling stone.

Taken together the funerary and clearance cairns are indicative of the
settlement and ceremonial use of this area during the Bronze Age.

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

The East Moors in Derbyshire includes all the gritstone moors east of the
River Derwent. It covers an area of 105 sq km, of which around 63% is open
moorland and 37% is enclosed. As a result of recent and on-going
archaeological survey, the East Moors area is becoming one of the best
recorded upland areas in England. On the enclosed land the archaeological
remains are fragmentary, but survive sufficiently well to show that early
human activity extended beyond the confines of the open moors.
On the open moors there is significant and well-articulated evidence over
extensive areas for human exploitation of the gritstone uplands from the
Neolithic to the post-medieval periods. Bronze Age activity accounts for the
most intensive use of the moorlands. Evidence for it includes some of the
largest and best preserved field systems and cairnfields in northern England
as well as settlement sites, numerous burial monuments, stone circles and
other ceremonial remains which, together, provide a detailed insight into life
in the Bronze Age. Also of importance is the well preserved and often visible
relationship between the remains of earlier and later periods since this
provides an insight into successive changes in land use through time.
A large number of the prehistoric sites on the moors, because of their rarity
in a national context, excellent state of preservation and inter-connections,
will be identified as nationally important.

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 were placed within stone-lined compartments
called cists. Often occupying prominent locations, cairns are a major visual
element in the modern landscape. Their considerable variation in form and
longevity as a monument type provide important information on the diversity of
beliefs and social organisation amongst prehistoric communities.

The round cairn 770m north west of Crookhill Farm remains largely intact and
will contain undisturbed archaeological information. The cairn is important
both because of its prominent position in the landscape and through
association with the nearby clearance cairn, which is also well-preserved.
Taken together these features provide subtantial evidence for the agricultural
and ceremonial use of the surrounding area during the Bronze Age.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Barnatt, J W, Crookhill Farm Hope Woodlands Archaeological Survey 1994, (1995), 10
Barnatt, J W, Crookhill Farm Hope Woodlands Archaeological Survey 1994, (1995)

Source: Historic England