Little Hill Round Barrows

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

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

The monument comprises the remains of four round barrows or cairns, built of earth with a fair amount of stone, which probably date to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC). Barrows generally are circular in shape on plan and have a rounded profile. Barrow A is considerably damaged, such that its original form is difficult to reconstruct, though there are traces of a possible kerb around its outer edge. It measures c.16.5m by c.13m and is c.1.1m high. Barrow B lies c.45m to the south-west of Barrow A and is c. 8m in diameter and c. 0.6m high, with a single edge-set stone at its base on the north-east side and group of five large boulders on the south side which may represent field clearance. Barrow C lies c.10m to the east of Barrow A and is c.5m in diameter and 0.5m high, consisting of stone heaped around a larger boulder. Barrow D lies c.190m to the south of Barrow A and is c.13m in diameter and 1.5m high. It has an uneven profile with stone poking through the turf in places.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual practices. The features are an important relic of a prehistoric funerary and ritual landscape and retain significant archaeological potential. There is a strong probability of the presence of both intact ritual and burial deposits, together with environmental and structural evidence. Barrows 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.