Scheduled Monument: Round Cairn On Reed Hill (1011161)

EXTRACT FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE'S RECORD OF SCHEDULED MONUMENTS MONUMENT: Round cairn on Reed Hill PARISH: LYME HANDLEY DISTRICT: MACCLESFIELD COUNTY: CHESHIRE NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 23609 NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE(S): SJ97817985 DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT The monument is a round cairn located on the summit of Reed Hill. It includes a slightly oval-shaped mound of partly turf-covered stones up to 1.4m high with maximum dimensions of 16m by 15m. Limited early 20th century excavation of the cairn located the primary central gritstone cist containing a mass of cremated human bones. A secondary cist was located but found to have been previously emptied. 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 minor disturbance to the monument by early 20th century excavation, the round cairn on Reed Hill survives reasonably well. This excavation located human remains, and further evidence of interments will exist within the mound and upon the old landsurface beneath. MONUMENT INCLUDED IN THE SCHEDULE ON 18th October 1993