Canon Pyon

English Heritage’s record of Scheduled Monuments records this as a Norman Motte castle.

Nearest town:
Hereford (10km ESE)
OS reference:
SO442489
OS sheets:
148, 149
Latitude:
52° 8' 6.38 N
Longitude:
2° 48' 55.27 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Canon Pyon (Artificial Mound) by thesweetcheat

In its landscape (2) – seen from the east, the barrow is overlooked and dwarfed by the adjacent conical hill of Butthouse Knapp, making its defensive capabilities as a motte rather suspect.

Image credit: A. Brookes (13.2.2010)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Feb 14, 2010
Image of Canon Pyon (Artificial Mound) by thesweetcheat

In its landscape (1) – along the lane from Nupton, the barrow’s position on top of a ridge is clear.

Image credit: A. Brookes (13.2.2010)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Feb 14, 2010
Image of Canon Pyon (Artificial Mound) by thesweetcheat

Looking north-east. The top of Pyon Hill is visible on the right of the barrow.

Image credit: A. Brookes (13.2.2010)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Feb 14, 2010

Articles

Canon Pyon

C
CARL Jul 9, 2010

Visited 27.6.10.
This was a bit odd. I drove up the country lane towards the site only to see a sign which stated the road was private – access only to houses along the lane. I looked again at the O/S map which shows it to be a normal lane. Anyway I continued my journey up the lane past Butthouse towards King’s Pyon. I did get a stare from a woman doing the gardening in one of the very posh houses but nothing was said. (as an aside you drive past a small detached black and white medieval looking building on your left – pretty).
The barrow itself has a fence around it with large trees growing on the top. There doesn’t appear to be any public access to the barrow although access to the field would be via a metal gate. I chose to view from the lane as even if you did go in the field you would still have to climb over the fence surrounding the barrow.

Canon Pyon

thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Feb 14, 2010

After my visit to Bush Bank standing stone and the slight weirdness of Kings Pyon church, it’s a relief to find this excellent round barrow. It stands on a natural rise, between the two conical hills of Pyon Hill and the nearer Butthouse Knapp. A very large mound with a flattened top, as yet unexcavated. It is unfortunately fenced off but is clearly visible from the road. This must be the largest round barrow in Herefordshire, covered with trees and very reminiscent of the large round barrows along the Ridgeway near Overton Hill in Wiltshire.

[When I got home I checked it out on Pastscape, which now appears to assign this as a motte. I’m not convinced, as it is totally overlooked by the much higher and within easy bow-shot Butthouse Knapp, making it a nightmare to defend. Having said that, there are many more mottes than round barrows around here. Until it’s excavated, we’ll probably never know for sure.]

Sites within 20km of Canon Pyon

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