Ancient Monuments

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Parkin's Stones round cairn on the summit of Benty Hill

A Scheduled Monument in Alston Moor, Cumbria

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Coordinates

Latitude: 54.7813 / 54°46'52"N

Longitude: -2.5157 / 2°30'56"W

OS Eastings: 366931.508167

OS Northings: 543056.085582

OS Grid: NY669430

Mapcode National: GBR BFW4.5T

Mapcode Global: WH920.B29X

Entry Name: Parkin's Stones round cairn on the summit of Benty Hill

Scheduled Date: 2 April 1965

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1007244

English Heritage Legacy ID: CU 39

County: Cumbria

Civil Parish: Alston Moor

Traditional County: Cumberland

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Cumbria

Church of England Parish: Alston Moor

Church of England Diocese: Newcastle

Details

The monument includes the remains of a Bronze Age round cairn situated in a prominent location on the summit of Benty Hill. The cairn measures approximately 10m in diameter and stands up to 1m high. A kerb of edge set stones visible on its western side survives elsewhere as a buried feature and indicates this is a burial mound.

SOURCES
PastScape Monument No:- 13752
NMR:- NY64SE1
Cumbria HER:- 2793

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

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 may be placed within the mound in stone-lined compartments called cists. In some cases the cairn was surrounded by a ditch. Often occupying prominent locations, cairns are a major visual element in the modern landscape. They are a relatively common feature of the uplands and are the stone equivalent of the earthen round barrows of the lowlands. 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.
Parkin's Stones round cairn is well-preserved and its distinctive landscape setting makes it a good example. The monument provides insight into the character of Bronze Age funerary rituals and will contain archaeological deposits relating to the construction and use of the burial mound.

Source: Historic England

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