Tar Barrows Round Barrow(s) View all content for Tar Barrows

Details of site on Pastscape A possible Roman temple or mausoleum and enclosures are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs, and through geophysical survey, around the scheduled site of Tar Barrow (SP 00 SW 15, UID 327361, Gloucestershire SAM 268), overlooking Cirencester, Gloucestershire. An English Heritage air photo assessment, and geophysical survey by GeoArch on behalf of Dr Peter Guest at Cardiff University, provide evidence of a significant site, probably associated with the Roman settlement of Corinium. Research by Neil Holbrook and Richard Reece suggests that the area around Tar Barrow possibly functioned as a religious focus in the Roman period, and possibly later Iron Age, and may have influenced the routes of the Roman road system in the vicinity, and possibly even the location of the Roman town. A series of ditched enclosures and possible building foundations, all aligned NE-SW, extend across an area measuring at least 285m by 185m. The most substantial of the enclosures, to the south-west of Tar Barrow, is thought to be a temple or mausoleum. This ditched enclosure measures approximately 37m by 28.5m, and encloses an area of 31m by 21m. Within the enclosure is a rectangular structure measuring circa 10.8m by 6m defined by what appear to be stone foundations surrounding a pit or cut feature measuring 8m by 5m. To the north and east of the barrow there are a number of enclosures and possible trackways defined by ditches interspersed with a series of square and sub-square structures, possibly building foundations. Until relatively recently the area was covered in medieval and post medieval earthworks (SP 00 SW 157, UID 1479180) in pasture which extended across the slopes above Cirencester.

Posted by Chance 9th June 2014ce

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