Merryton Low I

Also known as:
Meriloneslowe
Nearest town:
Leek (7km WSW)
OS reference:
SK0413360995
OS sheet:
119
Latitude:
53° 8' 44.55 N
Longitude:
1° 56' 17.52 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Merryton Low I (Round Barrow(s)) by BrownEdger

Merryton Low I viewed from the track leading to the barrow looking North-East.

Image credit: BrownEdger
BrownEdger
BrownEdger Aug 21, 2014
Image of Merryton Low I (Round Barrow(s)) by BrownEdger

Merryton Low I viewed from Morridge Road looking South-East.

Image credit: BrownEdger
BrownEdger
BrownEdger Aug 21, 2014

Articles

Merryton Low I

BrownEdger
BrownEdger May 24, 2013

The hill Merryton Low forms the highest point of Morridge to the North-East of the Staffordshire Moorlands village of Thorncliffe. The summit of the hill is the meeting point of three parish boundaries: Onecote to the South, Fawfieldhead to the North-East and Heathylee to the North-West.

The name Merryton Low used to be ‘Meriloneslowe’ (13th-century spelling) denoting a barrow or hill (from the Old English Hlaw) by a boundary lane (from the Old English Gemaere lone). Source: VCH Staffs Vol.VII Leek and the Moorlands (1995) p.211.

Merryton Low I is a very easy site to locate as it sits at the southern end of the summit of the hill and has an OS Trig pillar at the South-West of the barrow’s somewhat flattened summit. The western face of the OS Trig pillar has a memorial plaque upon it dedicated to four former members of the 5th Staffs Leek Battalion Home Guard ‘C’ Company who went on to serve in the regular army during WWII and died in combat. The parish boundary between Onecote C.P. and Fawfieldhead C.P. crosses directly over the barrow.

The barrow is oval in shape measuring 13m North to South, 12m East to West and up to 0.7m high. Merryton Low I is not thought to have been excavated – though there is evidence that the South side of the mound has been dug into.

Merryton Low I is visible from the road that leads from the Mermaid Inn up to Blake Mere (The Mermaid’s Pool) and there is a track leading up to the site from the road. There is a similar track leading to the Mermaid’s Pool just a short distance further along the road and this may be an easier place to park.

Merryton Low I is not thought to be one of the three barrows on Morridge mentioned in Plot.
(Plot, R. “A Natural History of the County of Stafford-shire’, 1686. Ch.X Para.19, Ch.X Para.21).

Merryton Low I is clearly marked on OS Landranger 119 and OS Explorer OL24 by a Tumulus label and Earthwork symbol around the Trig Pillar symbol.

Site visited:- 17th April 2013

Scheduled Ancient Monument No.=1008973. Scheduled as Merryton Low bowl barrow. NMR=SK06 SW10, R.S.M. No.=22414, S.M.R. No.=04180.

Sites within 20km of Merryton Low I

Like all websites everywhere, we use cookies.