Pit Circle 250m NE of Cottesmore Farm

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The monument consists of the remains of a pit circle, dating to the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age. The site forms an enclosure, related to henges, defined by a circular arrangement of pits, probably none of which originally held posts. More than one circle, concentrically arranged, may be present. The circle is arund 20m in diameter and stands on a very low ridge of ragstone running E - W across the field. A total of 30 pits form the outside circle and there are two larger and more diffuse circular cropmarks in the SE quadrant.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric ritual practices. The monument retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of ritual deposits and environmental and structural evidence. The monument forms an important element in the wider prehistoric funerary and ritual landscape. Pit circles may be part of a larger cluster of monuments and their importance can further enhanced by their group value.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. It is an area of approx 50m square with the pit circle at its centre.