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Ridlees round cairn is a prehistoric burial monument located on the moorland of Northumberland, approximately 640 metres north-east of Hanging Crag. The cairn consists of a substantial mound of stones constructed over bedrock of the Border Group—a Meramecian-age formation of sandstone interspersed with argillaceous rocks and limestone. This geological foundation would have provided readily accessible stone for the cairn's construction, and the local bedrock's erosion likely contributed material to the surrounding landscape.
The monument occupies a scheduled area of 0.03 hectares and is protected by Historic England under reference 1008433. Round cairns such as this typically served as burial monuments during the Bronze Age, their stone construction preserving the dead and marking significant landscape positions within upland territories.
The site's elevated moorland location, characteristic of Northumberland's prehistoric archaeology, afforded visibility across substantial stretches of surrounding terrain. The cairn's survival and formal scheduling recognition underscore its importance as evidence of burial practices and land use in northern Britain during the prehistoric period.
Ridlees round cairn, 640m north east of Hanging Crag is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1008433. View the official record →
Ridlees round cairn is a prehistoric burial monument located on the moorland of Northumberland, approximately 640 metres north-east of Hanging Crag. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1008433.
Ridlees round cairn, 640m north east of Hanging Crag is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1008433.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Two Romano-British settlements, two stone hut circles, field system and associated cord rig cultivation, 650m west of Nether Houses (7.4 km), Evistones medieval settlement, field system and three bastles (7.4 km), Bagraw Roman camp and section of Roman road, 463m NNW of Bagraw (8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Ridlees round cairn, 640m north east of Hanging Crag's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Ridlees round cairn, 640m north east of Hanging Crag stands on Border Group, bedrock that formed in the Meramecian. The rock here is sandstone with subordinate argillaceous rocks and limestone.