A burnt mound is an accumulation of burnt (fire-crazed) stones, ash and charcoal, usually sited next to a river or lake, with hearths and/or some form of trough or basin capable of holding water either within the mound or adjacent to it. Size varies greatly from small examples under 0.5m high and less than 10m across to larger sites which exceed 3m in height and 35m across. Burnt mounds are found widely scattered over midland and southern England. Most are best interpreted as sauna baths of some kind, although a few might have been used as cooking sites.
Burnt mounds are fairly distinctive as field monuments because of the density of fire-crazed stone and their situation. It is possible that some have been confused with round barrows or clearance cairns in the past, but careful scrutiny of construction, composition, and location will usually enable other such classes to be distinguished.