Hirgarn Kommdu
c.4000-3300BC
The monument was constructed as a communal burial place for people living on or around Bodmin Moor.
6th-16th Centuries
During the medieval period, field systems and boundaries were built around the monument.
1992
The long cairn was listed as a Scheduled Monument in December 1992, protecting the site for future generations to learn from and enjoy.
Stretching across the broad valley of Bearah Common between the Tor and Langstone downs is a remarkable Neolithic long cairn, nestled within the rugged landscape of Bodmin Moor. This monument was built over 5,000 years ago by some of Britain’s earliest farming communities.
Long Cairns are funerary monuments, used for communal burials, and often contain carefully arranged stone chambers suggesting complex rituals and beliefs. This example is a flat-topped, trapezoidal mound with visible stonework, including a partially collapsed burial chamber and kerb stones marking its edges. It sits within a prehistoric field system, surrounded by ancient walls, roundhouses, and clearance cairns—piles of stones removed to make way for crops. This sits in a ritual and agricultural landscape that includes Bronze Age and medieval features, offering insight into how people lived, farmed, and commemorated their dead across thousands of years of Cornish history.
Blackcoombe Farm Long Cairn was part of Cornwall National Landscape’s A Monumental Improvement Project, which aimed to ensure that 40 scheduled monuments across Cornwall National Landscape were better protected, identified and enjoyed by a wider range of people. Between 2022 – 2025, the Project delivered conservation repairs, installed new heritage interpretation signage, ran a range of community volunteering events and developed new website resources. The Project was primarily funded thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with support from our other partners – Cornwall Council, Historic England, The National Trust, Cornwall Heritage Trust and Cornwall Archaeological Society.
The long cairn at Bearah Common is a nationally important site, due to its rarity, age and preservation. It represents one of the few surviving Neolithic structures still visible in the landscape, and its association with surrounding prehistoric field systems and later medieval enclosures help give us a clearer picture in understanding how land use has changed over millennia. The cairn’s internal structure, including burial chambers and kerb stones, provide archaeologists with evidence of the monuments original structure and possible evidence of early communal burial practices.
Meanwhile, the surrounding field system show how farming methods evolved from the Bronze Age through to the medieval period. These features, along with roundhouses and boundaries and field systems, give a clue to the changing social organisation and agricultural activities. Together, they provide a rich tapestry that helps archaeologists trace the development of human settlement, ritual, and land management on Bodmin Moor from the Early Neolithic onward.
Gallery
The long cairn is one of the few surviving Neolithic monuments still visible on Bodmin Moor, making its preservation especially important. Its flat-topped, trapezoidal mound contains traces of a burial chamber and kerb stones that once marked its edges. These features provide rare insight into early communal burial practices and the beliefs of some of Britain’s first farming communities. The cairn also sits within an ancient field system, where low stone walls, clearance cairns and roundhouse remains help tell the story of how people shaped and used this land over thousands of years. Protecting these features means safeguarding not only the monument itself, but the wider prehistoric landscape it belongs to.
Surrounding the cairn are layers of history that extend well beyond the Neolithic period. Bronze Age boundaries, medieval enclosures and later farming patterns all overlap here, showing how each generation adapted the land to their needs. These physical traces are fragile, vulnerable to erosion, vegetation growth and modern land use. Caring for them requires careful management of grazing, vegetation clearance and ground disturbance, ensuring that these rare archaeological features from burial chamber to boundary wall, can continue to tell their story to future generations.
The cairn sits within the open, windswept landscape of Bearah Common, where hardy moorland plants thrive. In spring and summer, the surrounding heath is dotted with purple heather, yellow gorse and grasses that can survive in the thin, stony soils. These plants provide shelter and food for wildlife such as meadow pipits, skylarks and the occasional buzzard overhead. Careful management of this natural habitat helps protect both the archaeological features and the species that live here.
Visitors can play a big part in looking after this special place. Please keep to existing paths and avoid climbing on the cairn or stone walls, as even small movements can damage these fragile features. If you’re walking a dog, keep it under close control to protect wildlife and grazing animals. Take any litter home and leave plants, stones and archaeological features as you find them. By enjoying the site responsibly, you’re helping to protect over 5,000 years of history and the wildlife that shares this landscape for future generations to enjoy.
Caring for Blackcombe Farm Long Cairn is about more than protecting the stones you see today. The mound, burial chamber and surrounding field systems are all vulnerable to weathering, vegetation growth and the natural erosion that comes with being exposed on open moorland. Bracken and gorse can quickly take hold, their roots disturbing fragile archaeology, while grazing animals help control growth but can also cause wear to earthworks if numbers are too high.
Regular monitoring by heritage specialists helps track changes, while conservation volunteers work to clear invasive plants and manage the landscape in a way that protects both archaeology and wildlife. Balancing public access with protection is another ongoing challenge the site is free to visit, but this means extra care is needed to guide visitors towards responsible enjoyment.
Blackcoombe long cairn becomes Hirgarn Kommdu in Cornish.
It means higarn – long cairn and kommdu – black combe.
Plan your visit with essential details on transport and parking options, available facilities, route descriptions and accessibility information to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable experience at any of our historical monuments.
When enjoying the countryside, it’s important to follow the Countryside Code to protect nature and preserve its beauty for everyone. This includes simple, respectful actions like not littering, always take your rubbish home or dispose of it properly in bins. Stick to designated paths to avoid damaging crops or wildlife habitats and keep gates and property as you find them, whether open or closed. Be mindful of livestock and wildlife by keeping dogs under control and not disturbing animals. By following these guidelines, you contribute to the protection of the environment and ensure that others can enjoy the countryside as well.
Access to Blackcombe Farm Long Cairn is on open moorland with no formal paths, so the ground can be uneven, boggy and challenging for those with limited mobility.
There are no visitor facilities at Blackcombe Farm Long Cairn, so be prepared to bring what you need and take all litter home.
There is no dedicated parking at Blackcombe Farm Long Cairn.
You can play a part in preserving its beauty and history for future generations. Volunteering opportunities range from helping with conservation efforts to assisting with educational programmes and community events. Whether you have a passion for nature, history, or simply love the outdoors, there’s a way for you to contribute. Join us and make a difference while connecting with others who share your enthusiasm for Cornwall’s heritage.
Cornwall National Landscape is a non-profit organisation that conserves the unique landscapes, wildlife, and cultural heritage of Cornwall. Volunteering for the protected landscape provides a rewarding experience of giving back to the community and preserving the Cornwall's natural beauty.
Discover a wealth of knowledge in our Resources section, where you can download detailed research documents, reports, and source material compiled by our archaeology team to enhance your understanding of the site.
