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Site Details

Coldsmouth Hill ring cairn (Kilham)

(NT 85722827) Tumulus. (1)

A Bronze Age cairn on Coldsmouth Hill excavated in 1930 measured 51ft in diameter and from 3ft to 6ft high. Within it was a ring of boulders 33ft x 31ft with traces of an outer ring 3ft away at the north and south - a few traces of a third inner ring was also at the south. In the centre was a cist formed of slabs set on edge measuring 2ft x 1ft 8in x 1ft 4in deep, the bottom being the living rock, with a cover-stone 2ft 9in x 2ft 5in x 1ft 4in. The cist contained calcined bones and a saw of dark coloured flint measuring 2-1/4in x 1-1/4in x 1/4in. Eight feet west of the cist, on the original ground surface, was found the base of a bronze knife-dagger 1-7/16in in breadth with the remains of one of the rivets in situ. The cairn can thus be dated to c.1800-1600 BC. The finds are in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland, Edinburgh. (2)

At the north end of the oval shaped pasture-covered hill top, a circular bank of loose stones, 15m diameter, 4m in width, of maximum height 0.5m. A rough circle of loose stones on the interior, of diameter 10m. A stone cist, centrally placed, axis east-west, of upright slabs, 0.4m x 0.5m x 0.3m deep. The floor of living rock, as described in Authy 2, not visible. To the east of the cist is a large rough-shaped boulder which is possibly the coverstone. A modern cairn of stones 2m high, of 4m diameter at the base, stands in the outer bank on the east side. No evidence of an external ditch. Present location of finds has not been confirmed. (3)

As described by F1. Revised at 6 inch scale. (4)

Scheduled. (5)(6)

NT 857 283; NT 857 282. Coldsmouth Hill round cairns. Scheduled No ND/446. (7)
N596
Bronze Age (2600BC to 700BC)
Scheduled Ancient Monument
EXCAVATION, Coldsmouth Hill 1930; CRAW, J H
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1955; A S Phillips
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1969; D Smith


Source of Reference
Local History of Kilham

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