The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

Ashleigh Barrow

Round Barrow(s)

Miscellaneous

The following information is taken from a book published in the mid-eighties - things have changed quite a bit since then. Well the barrow's reappeared for a start...

No physical evidence remains of this Darwen barrow. It was destroyed during October 1864 as foundations were dug for Ashleigh House, itself since demolished in 1986.

30 yards in diameter, the barrow sat on a promontory of an undulating plateau overlooking the Darwen Valley. It's height was said to vary from around 12 feet to the E and 2-3 feet on the W, the centre being about 6 feet in diameter and consisting of a slight hollow. Ten internments appear to have been made. Two urns contained 'incense cups' and another a 7 1/2" bronze dagger. An excavation of 1986 found only evidence of the original lie of the land, the naze apparently being levelled during the construction of Ashleigh house.




The Whitehall Urns are on display in Darwen reference library.

From the case containing the Whitehall Urns:

"Three Bronze Age pottery urns from Whitehall, Over Darwen. They were discovered in 1864 in a large mound. Originally there were ten urns in all, but most of these were fragmentary, and nine of these contained cremated human remains.

Ritual burial sites of this type, that is, under a burial mound or barrow, are known from elsewhere in the county, as far afield as Chorley, the Pendle Hill area, Clitheroe and the Burnley moors. They date from the early to mid bronze age, that is from around 2,000 - 800 BC."




Additional note 23/1/3ce

It was with reluctance that I changed the name of this site from my original Ashleigh Street, Darwen to the correct name above...
IronMan Posted by IronMan
13th December 2002ce
Edited 15th May 2003ce

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