Cawsand Beacon, a round cairn, a ring cairn, a stone building and five post-medieval shelters on the summit of Cawsand Hill

Scheduled area

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History & significance

Cawsand Beacon is a Neolithic or Bronze Age cairn situated on the summit of Cawsand Hill in Devon. The site comprises a round cairn and ring cairn, which represent the primary prehistoric structures, alongside a stone building and five post-medieval shelters whose construction reflects later use of this elevated location. The beacon monument itself testifies to the long occupation and reuse of prominent hilltop sites across Devon's archaeological landscape, with the post-medieval shelters indicating the strategic importance of the summit for observation purposes in the early modern period. The complex demonstrates the palimpsest of human activity on prominent topographic features, from prehistoric burial practices through to early modern beacon infrastructure.

Cawsand Beacon, a round cairn, a ring cairn, a stone building and five post-medieval shelters on the summit of Cawsand Hill is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1010793. View the official record →

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