Scheduled Monument: CAIRNFIELD 630M NORTH EAST OF STANAGE HOUSE (1018482)

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION The East Moors in Derbyshire includes all the gritstone moors east of the River Derwent. It covers an area of 105 sq km, of which around 63% is open moorland and 37% is enclosed. As a result of recent and on-going archaeological survey, the East Moors area is becoming one of the best recorded upland areas in England. On the enclosed land the archaeological remains are fragmentary, but survive sufficiently well to show that early human activity extended beyond the confines of the open moors. On the open moors there is significant and well-articulated evidence over extensive areas for human exploitation of the gritstone uplands from the Neolithic to the post-medieval periods. Bronze Age activity accounts for the most intensive use of the moorlands. Evidence for it includes some of the largest and best preserved field systems and cairnfields in northern England as well settlement sites, numerous burial monuments, stone circles and other ceremonial remains which, together, provide a detailed insight into life in the Bronze Age. Also of importance is the well preserved and often visible relationship between the remains of earlier and later periods since this provides an insight into successive changes in land use through time. A large number of the prehistoric sites on the moors, because of their rarity in a national context, excellent state of preservation and inter-connections, will be identified as nationally important. Cairnfields are concentrations of cairns sited in close proximity to one another. The often consist largely of clearance cairns, built with stone cleared from the surrounding landsurface to improve its use for agriculture and on occasions their distribution pattern can be seen to define field plots. Occasionally, some of the cairns were used for funerary purposes, although without excavation it is difficult to determine which cairns contain burials. Clearance cairns were constructed from the Neolithic period (from c.3,400 BC), although the majority date from the Bronze Age (2,000-700 BC). Cairnfields can also retain information concerning the development of land use and agricultural practices as well as the diveristy of beliefs and social organisation during the prehistoric period. The small cairnfield 630m north east of Stanage House survives well and will contribute to understanding of prehistoric activity in Eyam Moor. DETAILS The monument includes a prehistoric cairnfield located on a bluff of moorland overlooking the Highlow Brook to the north. It is one of a group of similar monuments providing evidence of extensive prehistoric agriculture and settlement on Eyam Moor. The monument comprises a series of well-preserved cairns of medium and small stones gathered in prehistoric times as the result of land clearance. There are approximately nine small cairns ranging from about 2.5m to 4.5m in diameter, some of which are irregular in shape. Some of the cairns have been slightly disturbed, others are complete. To the west of the main distribution of cairns in this small group are two or more isolated examples which are not included in the scheduling and are separated from it by an area of steeply- sloping and/or potentially boggy ground. Their size and location indicates that they were the result of a small area of extended clearance beyond the main cairnfield. The cairnfield is interpreted as the remains of an area of agricultural settlement and land clearance dating to the Bronze Age. SELECTED SOURCES Unpublished Title Reference - Author: Barnatt, J. W. - Title: Highlow Hall and Eyam Moor ... Archaeological Survey 1994-5. - Date: 1995 - Page References: 23-4 - Type: DESC TEXT - Description: unpublished survey report Article Reference - Author: Barnatt, J. W. - Title: Bronze Age Remains on the East Moors of Derbyshire. - Date: 1986 - Journal Title: Derbyshire Archaeological Journal - Volume: 106 - Page References: 70-1 - Type: DESC TEXT