Scheduled Monument: Round cairn cemetery on Dunkery Hill (1020930)

Details The monument includes a prehistoric round cairn cemetery which is situated on open moorland occupying a prominent position on the summit of Dunkery Hill. The cemetery, which comprises at least five round cairns, includes three distinctive cairns each of which is surrounded by a low bank. These cairns, two of which have attracted the place-names of Joaney How and Robin How, appear to have formed the focus of the cemetery which is roughly aligned from north east to south west along the high level plateau which forms the eastern end of the Dunkery Ridge. The surrounding earth and stone banks which distinguish three of the cairns from the others are an average of 1m wide. Their cairn mounds range in diameter between 21.5m and 24m with a maximum height of 2m. Each of the mounds is topped with a modern stone heap. The westernmost cairn, known as Robin How, is flanked by a large quarry pit to the east which has dimensions of 19m from north to south, 8m from east to west, and is 0.8m deep; it was probably the source of material for the cairn mound. A low stone and earthen mound about 3m in diameter is situated immediately west of the cairn mound and may be associated with it. An unnamed cairn which forms the southernmost of the group has several shallow pits close to the east and south sides of the mound and, as with Robin How, these were probably dug to provide material for the cairn mound. The north easternmost of this group of banked cairns is known as Joaney How. Two further cairns are located to the east and north east. Both are similarly constructed with stone and earth mounds 1.1m high but without enclosing banks. The mound of the northernmost of the two is 18m in diameter and has a slight hollow just to the south west of the centre which is visible in the exposed stone of the mound; this is probably the result of stone robbing. The second cairn, located to the south east of the former is 17m in diameter and has a pit dug into the centre of the mound of approximately 2.8 sq m with upcast stone around it. Also included in the scheduling are a further three small mounds considered to be cairns. These are located at the centre of the group just to the east of Joaney How and they may have been constructed as later and secondary cairns seeking association with the main focus of the cemetery. Their mounds are an average 3m in diameter and 0.2m high. The cemetery appears also to have acted as a focus for further cairns which lie some distance from it; these outlying cairns are the subject of separate schedulings. The cairns known as Robin How and Joaney How are traditionally thought to be named after Robin Hood and Little John and were first referred to as such on an Ordnance Survey 6 inch map of 1887. Both of these cairns, together with the southernmost cairn of the group, are recorded as the sites of beacons on the Ordnance Survey 25 inch 1st edition map of 1809. Selected Sources Book Reference - Type: SMR - Description: 33695,33696,33698 Book Reference - Title: National Monument Record - Type: DESC TEXT - Description: SS 94 SW 14 Book Reference - Title: National Monument Record - Type: DESC TEXT - Description: SS 94 SW 2 Book Reference - Title: National Monument Record - Type: DESC TEXT - Description: SS 94 SW 3 Book Reference - Title: National Monument Record - Type: DESC TEXT - Description: SS 94 SW 4 Book Reference - Title: National Monument Record - Type: DESC TEXT - Description: SS 94 SW 6 Article Reference - Author: Grinsel, L V - Title: Somerset Barrows - Date: 1969 - Journal Title: Proceedings Somerset Archaeological & Natural History Society - Volume: 113 - Page References: 35 - Type: DESC TEXT - Description: Luccombe No 5 Article Reference - Author: Grinsell, L V - Title: Somerset Barrows - Date: 1969 - Journal Title: Proceedings Somerset Archaeological & Natural History Society - Volume: 113 - Page References: 14,35 - Type: DESC TEXT - Description: Luccombe No 3 Article Reference - Author: Grinsell, L V - Title: Somerset Barrows - Date: 1969 - Journal Title: Proceedings Somerset Archaeological & Natural History Society - Volume: 113 - Page References: 14,35 - Type: DESC TEXT - Description: Luccombe No 4 Article Reference - Author: Grinsell, L V - Title: Somerset Barrows - Date: 1969 - Journal Title: Proceedings Somerset Archaeological & Natural History Society - Volume: 113 - Page References: 43 - Type: DESC TEXT - Description: Wootton Courtenay No 1 Article Reference - Author: Grinsell, L V - Title: Somerset Barrows - Date: 1969 - Journal Title: Proceedings Somerset Archaeological & Natural History Society - Volume: 113 - Page References: 43 - Type: DESC TEXT - Description: Wootton Courtenay No 4.