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The north-western of two cairns on Eylesbarrow

A Scheduled Monument in Sheepstor, Devon

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Coordinates

Latitude: 50.5006 / 50°30'2"N

Longitude: -3.9761 / 3°58'33"W

OS Eastings: 259951.81707

OS Northings: 68618.23893

OS Grid: SX599686

Mapcode National: GBR Q4.4Y5T

Mapcode Global: FRA 27KQ.W8D

Entry Name: The north-western of two cairns on Eylesbarrow

Scheduled Date: 24 February 1992

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1010694

English Heritage Legacy ID: 10740

County: Devon

Civil Parish: Sheepstor

Traditional County: Devon

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Devon

Details

This cairn lies on the summit of Eylesbarrow a few metres from the terminal of
Eylesbarrow watershed reave and to the north-west of another large cairn. It
consists of a mound of stones piled on a berm of earth and stone 16m in
diameter and 1.5m in height. The stones of the mound have been moved around by
visitors.

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

Dartmoor is the largest expanse of open moorland in southern Britain and,
because of exceptional conditions of preservation, it is also one of the
most complete examples of an upland relict landscape in the whole country.
The great wealth and diversity of archaeological remains provides direct
evidence for human exploitation of the Moor from the early prehistoric period
onwards. The well-preserved and often visible relationship between settlement
sites, major land boundaries, trackways, ceremonial and funerary monuments as
well as later industrial remains, gives significant insights into successive
changes in the pattern of land use through time.

Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age
(c.2500-1000 BC). They were constructed as earthen or rubble mounds, the
latter predominating in areas of upland Britain where such raw materials were
locally available in abundance. Round cairns may cover single or multiple
burials and are sometimes surrounded by an outer ditch. Often occupying
prominent locations, they 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 early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative
of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are
considered worthy of protection. Dartmoor provides one of the best preserved
and densest concentrations of round cairns in south-western Britain.

This large cairn occupies a prominent position on the hilltop and is closely
related to Eylesbarrow watershed reave and the second cairn on Eylesbarrow.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
SX56NE-036, REF SX56NE-036, (1990)

Source: Historic England

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