Description

The monument comprises a group of barrows of prehistoric date, visible as cropmarks on oblique aerial photographs.

The monument lies in arable farmland at around 50m OD. There are two round barrows, delineated by circular ditches about 2m broad. The more easterly of the two measures about 35m in overall diameter, while the second barrow, 5m to the W, measures about 25m in overall diameter. They each have a central burial pit. Some 15m to the S of the larger round barrow is a square barrow. It measures approximately 25m across, with a central burial pit. It has causeways at each of the corners. To the north of this there is a row of three small square barrows, aligned E-W. They range in size from 5m to 10m across, with the largest barrow lying to the E. Central burial pits are visible in all of them.

The barrows were burial mounds and may be expected still to contain evidence of burials. The square barrows are characteristic of the first half of the first millennium AD, and the square barrow with causeways at the corners is a particularly large example of its type. The round barrows are also unusually large and may be Neolithic rather than the more usual Bronze Age in date.

The area proposed for scheduling comprises the remains of the barrows and an area around them within which related material may be expected to be found. It is sub-rectangular, bounded on the NE by the edge of a road and on the NW by the foot of a railway embankment, with maximum dimensions of 160m NW-SE by 120m, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because of its potential to contribute to our understanding of prehistoric ritual and funerary practices. It may be expected to contain material relating to the mode of construction and use of the barrows. The larger than average size of both the causewayed square barrow and the round barrows is a feature of particular interest.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NO 30 NW 132.

Aerial Photographs used:

RCAHMS (1992) B79921 NO30NW125, 132.

RCAHMS (1992) B79923 NO30NW125, 132.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland