NU 083336 and NU 084336. Group of round barrows and stone circle at Early Knowe, Belford. (1)

The 'stone circle' at NU 0827 3359 consists of an oval enclosure, open on the north side, formed by what appears to be the turf-covered foundations of a wall, with, internally, four recumbent and partially buried stones. The latter have no significance, and the whole is probably the remains of a modern sheep stell.
Similarly, the 'barrows' consist of a spoil-heap at NU 0823 3346, and two elongated mounds at NU 0832 3357 and NU 0836 3357 respectively which are no more than unploughed sections of a natural ridge overlain by clearance stones. (2)

Agreed. (3)

SAM management agreement. (4)

Early Knowe is a large stone cairn standing about 10ft high, adjacent to this is another cairn rather denuded. A few yards to the north west is a circle of stones set upright in the ground. These may be the base of a hut. (5)

A post Medieval cairn, centred at NU 0836 3357, is visible as an earthwork on air photographs. The barrows and stone circle mentioned by previous authorities are not visible on the air photographs available. However, coal working is prevalent in the area and several nearby spoil heaps may coincide with those suggested as barrows. (6)(11)

The stone circle is almost certainly the base of a cairn. The round cairn is of irregular shape. The 'adjacent' cairn on north side is a low long shaped mound, and does not look like a cairn. The cairns which are joined by a ridge, form a long mound c.65m long, on an E-W axis. Rising from 1m high at west end to about 3m at east end. Composed of gravel and stones. (7)

The cairn now appears to be a roughly circular enclosure about 17m diameter. The perimeter is formed by a small ridge and ditch. The stones are of various sizes and lie in a rough circle near the centre of the enclosure. (8)

The previously unrecorded 'group of barrows and stone circle' on Early Knowe was scheduled as an ancient monument in 1950. Doubt has been cast on their authenticity as prehistoric features since the 1960s.
Set in a prominent position on the crest of a hill and commanding extensive views over the coastal plain to the east, the monument is divided into two separate areas of protection. The first and most easterly area includes the remains of the 'group of barrows', visible as a large irregularly-shaped mound and a smaller mound joined together by a low ridge, to form an east-west elongated mound measuring about 65m long; in places the mound has been overlain by modern stone clearance. This feature has the appearance of a natural ridge, enhanced by modern stone clearance. The second area of protection lying to the west, contains the earthwork remains of the 'stone-circle', visible as a circular enclosure measuring about 14m in diameter within the turf covered foundations of a low stone wall spread to about two metres wide; four upright stones mark its inner face. Aerial photographs indicate that this circular enclosure is constructed over, and is therefore later than, a series of long, straight furrows, characteristic of later C18 and C19 cultivation or drainage; it is therefore interpreted as a post-medieval sheep stell.
The monument was de-scheduled on 3 February 2014. (9)

The circular feature was once thought to be a stone circle. The site is about 6.0m in diameter and defined by a shallow gully with traces of an internal mound. Within the line of the mound there are three small amorphous stones embedded in the ground on the east side. This is now thought to be remains of a sheep pen and 19th century in date. (10)

NU 083 336; NU 084 336. Early Knowe group of barrows and stone circle. Scheduled No ND/284. (11a)

A post Medieval cairn, centred at NU 0836 3357, is visible as an earthwork on air photographs. The barrows and stone circle mentioned by previous authorities are not visible on the air photographs available. However, coal working is prevalent in the area and several nearby spoil heaps may coincide with those suggested as barrows. (11b)