Delf Hill

An interesting discovery has been made by Mr. F. C. Spencer, of Halifax, of a British barrow, in the township of Extwistle, near Burnley. Mr Spencer's attention had been called by Mr. Jonas Lee, farmer, of Thursden, to a small circle of stones in a field called Delf-hill Pasture, at Hellclough-head [..]

The circle originally consisted of rock pillars (five of which remain), standing about eighteen inches above the surface, and being about two feet square. The diameter of the circle is about five yards.

Mr. Spencer directed an excavation to be made without delay, the result of which was the discovery of two very antique earthern urns, curiously marked, containing fragments of human bones, of small dimensions, mixed with charcoal and black mould. The tops of the vessels were covered with small flat slate-stones, but little larger than the urns, over which larger heavy stones were placed for their protection. The urns were found about two feet beneath the surface of the field, in the centre of the circle, embedded in soft clay, with many pieces of charcoal interspersed.