Scheduled Monument: Round Cairn 200M South-West Of Sutton Hall (1007397)

EXTRACT FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE'S RECORD OF SCHEDULED MONUMENTS MONUMENT: Round cairn 200m south-west of Sutton Hall PARISH: SUTTON DISTRICT: MACCLESFIELD COUNTY: CHESHIRE NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 22574 NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE(S): SJ92487131 DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT The monument is a round cairn located in flat pasture 200m south-west of Sutton Hall. It includes a largely turf-covered oval mound of stones up to 1.6m high with maximum dimensions of 23.5m by 18m. There is a central hollow 7m in diameter and 0.3m deep in the cairn's summit in which a water-trough is now situated. On the northern side of the mound is a shallow depression indicating the site of limited excavation undertaken in 1962. This excavation found the cairn to be largely composed of river cobbles. A small number of secondary cremations were found but not the primary burial at the monument's centre. The water tank is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath the tank is included. ASSESSMENT OF IMPORTANCE 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. Despite limited excavation north of the monument's centre and minor surface damage by a combination of ploughing and stock erosion, the round cairn 200m south-west of Sutton Hall survives reasonably well. This excavation located secondary cremations, and further evidence of inhumations and grave goods will exist within the cairn and upon the old landsurface beneath. SCHEDULING HISTORY Monument included in the Schedule on 9th April 1981 as: COUNTY/NUMBER: Cheshire 116 NAME: Cairn 200 metres south-west of Sutton Hall The reference of this monument is now: NATIONAL MONUMENT NUMBER: 22574 NAME: Round cairn 200m south-west of Sutton Hall SCHEDULING AFFIRMED ON 06th September 1993