Details

The monument includes the earthworks and buried remains of an extensive range
of prehistoric monuments, including six cairnfields of various sizes, five
field systems, two hut circles, a prehistoric farmstead and a funerary cairn.
It is located on unenclosed moorland on the west-facing slopes of Corney Fell
north of Kinmont Beck and west of Buckbarrow Beck, and represents evidence for
the prehistoric exploitation of this landscape. The monument is sub-divided
into five separate areas of protection.
Kinmont Beck North West cairnfield is centred at approximately SD12709043 and
includes over 100 clearance cairns varying between 2m-10m in diameter and up
to 0.6m high. Within this cairnfield is a funerary cairn located at
SD12749062. This cairn was subjected to limited excavation in 1972 and soil
samples from beneath the mound were analysed and subsequently interpreted as
indicating that the cairn had been used for burial. Also within this
cairnfield are remains of a field system consisting of a lynchet running
between two clearance cairns at the southern end of the cairnfield, lengths of
stone banks interpreted as field divisions running down the hillslope, and
alignments of clearance cairns considered to represent the line of old field
boundaries in which sporadic patches of stone clearance were piled against
hedges or fences.
Buckbarrow Bridge West cairnfield is centred at approximately SD13119044 and
lies either side of the minor road crossing Corney Fell. It includes upwards
of 100 clearance cairns up to 0.6m high and varying between 3m in diameter
to 11m long by 8m wide. Within the cairnfield the are remains of a rectilinear
field system represented by three lynchets, whilst a stone bank and an
alignment of clearance cairns on the north side of the cairnfield and a stone
bank on the south side of the cairnfield are also considered to have formed
part of the field system. At the southern edge of the cairnfield, at
SD13069032, there are remains of a hut circle about 4m in diameter.
A third cairnfield lies to the north of Buckbarrow Bridge West cairnfield and
is centred at approximately SD13039068. It is also crossed by the minor road
and includes over 60 clearance cairns up to 0.45m high and varying between
2.2m in diameter to 8.9m long by 4.8m wide. Within this cairnfield are remains
of a field system consisting of five lengths of stone walling which mark the
northern edge of the cairnfield and an L-shaped length of walling interpreted
as part of an enclosure.
White Crags South cairnfield is centred at approximately SD13349078 and
includes six clearance cairns and a short length of stone bank. At SD13379074,
about 40m SSE of a cluster of three of these cairns, there are remains of a
prehistoric farmstead consisting of a sub-circular stone-walled enclosure
about 25m in diameter externally with an entrance on its south east side and a
cairn built into the enclosure wall adjacent to the entrance. Internally there
are traces of a hut circle about 5m in diameter.
Buckbarrow Beck West cairnfield is centred at approximately SD13539073 and
includes about 20 clearance cairns up to 0.5m high and varying between 2.8m in
diameter to 14m long by 5m wide. Within this cairnfield there is a small field
system consisting of an L-shaped length of stone bank or wall incorporating
two cairns which is interpreted as an enclosure.
Kinmont Beck North East cairnfield is centred at approximately SD12979022 and
includes five clearance cairns. Within the cairnfield is a hut circle about
10m in diameter with an entrance on its western side. Also within the
cairnfield are traces of a field system represented by a lynchet some 50m long
running along the contour.
The prehistoric remains on Corney Fell north of Kinmont Beck and west of
Buckbarrow Beck reflect either sporadic or transient occupation over a long
period, while the funerary cairn has forms similar to excavated funerary
cairns dated to the Bronze Age (about 2000-700BC).

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

The Cumbrian uplands comprise large areas of remote mountainous terrain, much
of which is largely open fellside. As a result of archaeological surveys
between 1980 and 1990 within the Lake District National Park, these fells have
become one of the best recorded upland areas in England. On the open fells
there is sufficient well preserved and understood evidence over extensive
areas for human exploitation of these uplands from the Neolithic to the post-
medieval period. On the enclosed land and within forestry the archaeological
remains are fragmentary, but they survive sufficiently well to show that human
activity extended beyond the confines of the open fells. Bronze Age activity
accounts for the most extensive use of the area, and evidence for it includes
some of the largest and best preserved field systems and cairn fields in
England, as well as settlement sites, numerous burial monuments, stone circles
and other ceremonial remains. Taken together, their remains can provide a
detailed insight into life in the later prehistoric period. Of additional
importance is the well-preserved and often visible relationship between the
remains of earlier and later periods, since this provides an understanding of
changes in land use through time. Because of their rarity in a national
context, excellent state of preservation and inter-connections, most
prehistoric monuments on the Lake District fells will be identified as
nationally important.

The prehistoric cairnfields, field systems, hut circles and a farmstead on
Corney Fell 440m north west of Buckbarrow Bridge survive well and form part of
a large area of well-preserved prehistoric landscape extending along the
fellsides of south west Cumbria. The monument contains a complex and
diverse group of prehistoric monument classes and together these represent
evidence of long term management and exploitation of this area in prehistoric
times.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Quartermaine, J, Corney fell Survey Catalogue, (1984)
Quartermaine, J, Leech, R H, Upland Settlement of the Lake District: Result of Recent Surveys, (1997), 16-19
Quartermaine, J, Corney fell Survey Catalogue, (1984)
Quartermaine, J, Corney fell Survey Catalogue, (1984)
Quartermaine, J, Corney fell Survey Catalogue, (1984)
Quartermaine, J, Leech, R H, Upland Settlement of the Lake District: Result of Recent Surveys, (1997), 16-19
Quartermaine, J, Corney fell Survey Catalogue, (1984)
Quartermaine, J, Corney fell Survey Catalogue, (1984)
Quartermaine, J, Corney fell Survey Catalogue, (1984)
Quartermaine, J, Corney fell Survey Catalogue, (1984)
Quartermaine, J, Corney fell Survey Catalogue, (1984)
Quartermaine, J, Corney fell Survey Catalogue, (1984)
Quartermaine, J, Corney fell Survey Catalogue, (1984)
Quartermaine, J, Corney fell Survey Catalogue, (1984)
Quartermaine, J, Corney fell Survey Catalogue, (1984)
Quartermaine, J, Corney fell Survey Catalogue, (1984)
Quartermaine, J, Corney fell Survey Catalogue, (1984)
Ward, J E, 'Trans Cumb and West Antiq and Arch Soc. New Ser.' in Cairns on Corney Fell, West Cumberland, , Vol. LXXVII, (1977), 2-5

Source: Historic England