MMO285 - Bronze Age cairn north of Blue Gate Iron Mine (Monument)

Cairn SS 7658 3828. Area of tumbled stones - possible cairn and stone setting. [1] Cairn at SS 7650 3828 but stones in vicinity appear to be natural. [2] Cairn or hut circle 4 metres in diameter with two small stones aligned on its centre. [3] The features noted above lie in open moorland in an area centred at SS 7658 3828 just below the highest point of a flat topped ridge at 424 metres Ordnance Datum. The geology is Morte Slates and the ridge top is covered by peat marsh, reed and rough grassland. Very little surface stone is evident in the vicinity but there are numerous small, widely scattered pits and gullies; these mainly shallow amorphous linear features, some with well defined upcast mounds, are probably mineral workings associated with the nearby abandoned iron mine shafts. The previously noted area of 'tumbled' stone appears infact to be an exposed band of sub surface sedimentary boulders and stones. It extends for c.275 metres between SS 7642 3827 and SS 7669 3832 and varies in width from about 4.0 metres to 11.0 metres. Within this linear turf covered stony spread numerous small pits, water erosion channels and at least two small stone heaps are evident which suggests that the site has been worked over perhaps by mineral prospectors. A number of exposed stones stand to a height of 0.5 metres but none appears to be artificially erected or form part of a setting. The cairn, identified at SS 7650 3828 immediately adjacent to the stoney band, measures 7.0 metres north to south by 5.6 metres about 0.3 metres high and has a flattish top with a small off centre pit. It is apparently composed of fist sized stones but while no kerb or other features are evident it may be of prehistoric origin. [4] A prehistoric cairn centred at SS 7651 3829 and located on open moorland. The feature comprises a sub-circular stony mound, 5.0 metres west-east by 6.8 metres and 0.3 metres high. It is composed of small stones, some of which are loose giving the appearance that the mound has been disturbed. The surrounding area is disturbed and is generally as described above. Cairn surveyed at 1:2500 scale. [5-6] The cairn described above is clearly visible on aerial photographs as an earthwork close to the summit of Deer Park, Exmoor. [7,9] This feature was noted during non intrustive walkover surveys of the proposed mire restoration area on Deer Park. [10,11] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [12]