More information : Two Earth-circles (at SK 2283 8403 and SK 2315 8408), with 32 barrows
grouped round them - 24 around and to the north of the former, and 8
around the latter. (1)
The north-west part of this complex has been formerly afforested, and
only vague stone scatters survive there. Elsewhere there are cleared
field patches, low stony field banks and stone clearance heaps, with
among them a few kerbed stone heaps which may be genuine burial
cairns. The `Earth-circles' cannot be identified. A typical Bronze
Age agricultural site with interspersed burials. The most prominent
features have been surveyed at 6". (2)
Centred at SK 231 841 on a southeast projecting hill spur called
Sheepwash Bank is a settlement with associated field systems and the
remains of two possible cairns.
The settlement consists of a hut-circle 'A' and the remains of
possibly two others 'B' and 'C'.
'A' at SK 2300 8417 measures 12.0m north to south by 11.0m east to
west between the centres of a turf-covered stone wall 1.5m wide and
0.3m maximum height, partly destroyed in the southwest quadrant which
may have contained the entrance.
'B' at SK 2312 8415, on slightly sloping ground on the northeast side
of the spur, is visible as a circular turf-covered earth and stone
bank of similar appearance and dimensions to 'A' although there is no
trace of the northeast, downhill side.
'C' at SK 2315 8408 is a circular area of uneven stony ground about
12.5m in diameter. At first glance it could be mistaken for a robbed
cairn but it is more probably a hut-circle with stones dumped in it.
(This is one of Authority 1's "Earth-circles").
Prominently situated on the top of the ridge within this system at SK
2308 8412 is a circular turf-covered area of stones - 'D', measuring
7.5m in diameter and 0.3m maximum height. The north quadrant has been
robbed (a stony mound 7.0m by 5.0m and 0.3m high. 10.0m to the
northeast is almost certainly a spoil heap from it) and a large
earthfast boulder is situated just south of the centre. There is no
definite kerb but it is probable that this is a robbed cairn more
than a mutilated clearance heap.
The field system is clearly defined by circular and linear clearance
heaps, Authority 1's "8 barrows", low turf-covered rubble walls and
stony lynchets. The walls tend to run across the spur from northeast
to southwest about 55.0m apart, but no definite field sizes are
evident.
On Dennis Knoll the adjacent hill spur to the west and centred at SK
228 841 is a probably contemporary extension to this field system.
Authority 1's alleged "24 barrows". To the south of the area, once
afforested but now cleared, are about a dozen irregular shaped stone
clearance heaps. The north part of the area is still afforested and
only one or two small piles of stone are evident and it is now
difficult to ascertain if these are definitely clearance heaps or
not. There are no definite fields, walls or lynchets on this spur.
One low pile of stones 'E' at SK 2276 8406 (measuring about 8.5m by
.7.5m with several large stones around its periphery) may be the
remains of a severely mutilated robbed cairn but it is possibly no
more than a large stone clearance heap. (This is probably Authority
1's other "Earth-circle" as there is nothing at his given reference).
Field System delineated on 1:10 560 Record Sheet.
Huts 'A', 'B' and 'C' surveyed at 1:10 000
Cairns 'D' and 'E' surveyed at 1:10 000 (3)
(SK 2295 8406) Settlement & Field System (NR) (4)
SK 230 842 (FCE) Bronze Age field system on Dennis Knoll and Sheepwash Bank. Although topographically distinct, these two areas probably form a single field system, characterised by well preserved clearance banks and a number of clearance cairns. The remains are most extensive on Sheepwash Bank, indeed clearance banks were only found here and not on Dennis Knoll (though this may be attributed to differential land use since Dennis Knoll is heavily forested).
The clearance banks, concentrated at the north end of the Sheepwash spur, are linear turf-covered features constructed of clearance debris and earth; they delimit a patchwork of large rectangular fields. The numerous cairns comprise low stony mounds just 0.3m high with an average diameter of 4-5m. These are distinct from the probable burial mounds recorded within the field system (see NMR nos SK 28 SW 71, 72 and 73). Cairns `D' and `E' of Authority 4 do not figure in this category, and are probably clearance features.
Authority 4's hut circles `A' and `B' are probably correctly identified as house sites, and are now recorded separately as SK 28 SW 69 and 70. However, hut circle `C' is probably a robbed burial cairn (see SK 28 SW 71).
The above description is summarised from a detailed level 3 RCHME 1: 1000 scale survey conducted in May 1987. The products of the survey are held in the NMR archive. (5) |