Winter Hill Tumulus

Despite limited excavation of the monument during the 1950s, the round cairn on Winter Hill survives reasonably well. This excavation found well preserved organic material both within the cairn and upon the old landsurface beneath. This organic material afforded a rare opportunity to study the local vegetational community at the time of the cairn’s construction. Further evidence of this well preserved organic material will exist within the cairn and upon the old landsurface beneath.

The monument includes a round cairn located on moorland approximately 400m WNW of the summit of Winter Hill at the northern edge of the summit plateau and overlooking a steep drop to the north. It includes a circular earth and stone mound measuring 19.2m in diameter and up to 0.3m high.

Limited excavation of the cairn during the 1950s located a central stone cairn c.2.5m in diameter and 1.5m high surrounded by a low outer wall or kerb approximately 18m in diameter and 0.4m high. The intervening space between the cairn and wall was filled initially with well preserved fresh vegetal matter then topped with large inverted turves and finally covered with sub-soil. Analysis of pollen taken from the excavation has given a date of about 1600-1400 BC for the cairn’s construction.

Created: 27  November  2016  Edited: 29  November  2023