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Berkshire: Latest Posts |
Showing 1-10 of 254 posts. Most recent first | Next 10 
Combe Gibbet (Long Barrow) — Fieldnotes |
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Saturday 26th November 2022 It was a suitably overcast and windy afternoon that lent a sense of foreboding to this site. Visible far away on the approach road to the east, high on the hill overlooking the valley, the double gibbet stood out against the landscape like a Cross at Golgotha. Even from the nearby car park at the foot of hill, one can only pause for private thought before drawing closer. Combe Gibbet. Gallows Hill. Macabre names that cast a shroud over the site’s true name and original purpose. Inkpen Long Barrow (c. 3,400-2,400 BC) was once a place where the venerated dead were buried, until 1676, when the locals drove a 25 foot stake through it’s heart, to suspend the damned for all to see. Those who were originally buried there are long forgotten, as it seems is the Long Barrow to most visitors, except to those in the know. The story of the gibbet is more familiar in folklore, used to display the bodies of lovers George Broomham and Dorothy Newman, who murdered Broomham’s wife Martha and son Robert. The gibbet was only ever used to hang their chained corpses as a deterrent, and never used again. The original structure rotted centuries ago, and replaced seven times, most recently in 1992. The Long Barrow is an impressive 60 metres in length and 22 metres wide. Three counties spread out across the horizon in front of it, which would tempt one to linger a while, even on a day when the long grass whips wildly in a bitingly cold wind. Looking over the horizon to the west, comes the comfort that Avebury lies within reach. Given the predilection of God fearing Christians of the time to destroy and condemn ancient sites as bedrocks of the old religion, it’s all too easy to believe Inkpen Long Barrow was chosen deliberately for this purpose. The simple truth is that Broomham and Newman were respectively from the nearby villages of Combe and Inkpen, with both settlements agreeing to subscribe towards the cost of the gibbet and affix it midway between the two. Inkpen Long Barrow is a different experience to visiting similar Neolithic barrows for the reasons explained above. The myths that are often attached to such sites are in this case, based on tragic fact than colourful legend. Walking back down the hill, you might feel the need to check behind you, just to be sure the gallows remain unoccupied… |
Posted by Spiddly30th November 2022ce |
Bussock Camp (Hillfort) — Images (click to view fullsize) |
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Posted by juamei25th March 2018ce |
Cock Marsh (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) — Images |
  
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Posted by Spiddly 27th May 2017ce |
Cock Marsh (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) — Fieldnotes |
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27th March 2017 A recent revelation, hidden in plain sight. I had long suspected this to be a Bronze Age round barrow, with a planned trip to the Thames side bar The Bounty providing the perfect opportunity to investigate further. Research reveals no less than 30 such burial mounds on Cock Marsh, although a cursory look showed three distinct mounds, the eye drawn to the largest and framed by a magnificent rolling hill in the background. The hill is best accessed from the back gate of The Bounty, where you can witness a glorious sunset. The distance from the pub to the largest mound can be deceptive, as has been learned from the inevitable running games from the pub gate to the mound and back. Atop the mound, look south to the right of the hill to see two of the smaller mounds. My recent trip revealed a discarded pint glass which I collected and returned to the pub, an inconsideration given that the marsh also doubles as a grazing field for cattle. The mound top has a considerable earthy divot, perhaps from a combination of excavation (an 1874-1877 exploration revealed finds of flint tools, animal bones, a cremation urn and pottery), and the occasional camp fire by an unwitting visitor. Given the Bronze Age tradition of capping such barrows in chalk, one is given to think that these mounds were more practical than for show and prestige. All the same, a great find and food for thought to those in the know. |
Posted by Spiddly 27th May 2017ce |
Grimsbury Castle (Hillfort) — Images |
   
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Posted by GLADMAN22nd December 2015ce |
Showing 1-10 of 254 posts. Most recent first | Next 10
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