wysefool

Excavation at Notgrove Long Barrow (from 1935 Archaeology Report)

Excavations were carried out this summer on Notgrove Long Barrow, in the parish of Notgrove, Gloucs, one of the well-known Cotswold group, by Mrs E M Clifford. The barrow stands at 800 feet O.D. and its orientation is roughly east and west.

The chamber is of double cruciform type and differs from the other three chambered barrows in England and Wales which have two pairs of side chambers in having a considerable area expanded as a kind of antechamber immeadiately west of the horned entrance. The chamber is formed with alternating Megalithic slabs (the tallest is six feet five inches above ground) and dry stone walling. The complete plan has been recovered, the sockets of the missing stones being found besides two hitherto unknown orthostats. The centre of the monument is occupied by a dome, which is a circular structure, twenty-three feet in diameter, formed of large stones faced with dry stone walling which was protected or supported by large slabs in which were the bones of a man.

The two revetment walls were traced from the portal around the horns to both sides of the mound and the inner one appeared to have extended the whole length of the barrow, while the outer one was less definite. Its line, however, was marked by a small sharply defined trench cut in the upper surface of a clay bed which everyone was laid outside the inner wall, and which was necessary on the north side to level up the ground. The whole of the material used is of local origin. The dome, the antechamber, and the horned entrance are the new structural features which these excavations have produced, while fragments of Windmill pottery, a bone bead and pieces of bone skewers were found in the chamber. The lower part of a Peterborough bowl with decoration of herring bone incisions and a gouge made out of a tooth were found in the material which blocked the entrance.

Notes on Excavations during 1935

Hembury Fort 1935.

The 5th season of the D.A.E.S. Excavations at Hembury Fort, Devon, carried out in May under the direction of Miss Liddell FSA, saw the uncovering of the eastern Early Iron Age Entrance practically completed. In contrast to the western Entrance this had no revetment posts, but relied on more complicated palisade work. There were 60 feet of cobbled roadway leading through an elaborate gateway, and wooden structures represented by the sockets and cores of 18 posts set in two huge pits. The iron shoe upon which one gate revolved was found in one post-hole, and ornamented ‘Glastonbury’ type pottery from some others now dates the building of the main ramparts.

Numerous Neolithic cooking holes, and abundant traces of Neolithic dwellings were found beneath the Iron Age earthworks about this gateway, and an unusually long section of Neolithic ditch, measuring over 70 feet, traverses the entrance, running beneath the cobbled roadway. The course of this second Neolithic ditch has not yet been traced, and it remains a problem whether it can possibly haver any connection with the Neolithic ditch in the southern half of the Fort, or whether it is part of an independant ring in the northern half.

The 6th and 7th sections of the first Neolithic Ditch were located in the southern half, showing its course to curve right across to the eastern vallum on its way to encircle the Neolithic habitation site previously discovered on the extreme southern point of the Fort.

Two large Neolithic post-holes were found on the margin of the 7th section of the ditch. Quantities of flint and greenstone implements and of native and imported Neolithic pottery were recovered.

A trial cutting in the northern half disclosed a 4th period of occupation in a Romano-British pit, which had cut through an earlier Iron Age pit, amd which contained pottery of the third century A.D.

E B Nunn’s account of digging the barrow in the 19th Century

‘April 26th 1855, Opened the Long Hill on Royston Heath. Made a cut about 7 feet wide to the base of the hill throughout its length. Found in the east end at about 1 foot from the top a small heap of calcined human bones, and a small piece or two of iron very much corroded, a few pieces of flints. At the depth of 4 feet a human skeleton lying with its legs crossed, the internment was Head NE by SW, at the base of the hill a bank of flint lying NW-SE the portion above described relates to portion no.1 on ground plan. In portion no. 2 a cyst was found cut in the chalk at the base of the hill about 2 feet depth being 18 to 20 inches, containing ashes, at 6 yards farther west another cyst was found of the same description and dimensions. At about 2ft farther west a skeleton was found, the bones being placed in a kind of heap or circle. This was also on the base of the hill. Nothing more was found.‘

EBN (of Royston)

from the Reliquary and Illustrated Archaeologist – published 1899

The Grinlow Barrow

“A short mile south-west of Buxton is a hill of irregular shape, known as Grinlow. Upon its summit, which is 1,440 feet above the level of the sea, stands a conspicuous prospect tower, erected by public subscription about two years ago. You can ascend this tower by means of a winding stairway, and from the top you command an extensive stretch of rugged limestone scenery. Over the door is a tablet which records the particulars of its erection, also the fact that it occupies the site of an ancient barrow; and it further informs you where an account of this barrow may be found, namely, in the ‘Proceedings of the society of Antiquaries of London, 2nd Series, vol XV., page 419’ .”

---

So begins the text of the report. Rather than re-type in its entirety, here are some points which may be of interest:

1. The report was on four barrows in the area, Mr Micah Salt, of Buxton opened two of them and Prof. J P Sheldon of Sheen, Staffs opened the other two.
2. Until 1894, no one apparently had suspected the presence of a barrow beneath the structure.
3. Solomon’s Temple was built one severe winter nearly seventy years ago to ‘afford occupation to the unemployed of Buxton‘
4. The construct of un-mortared rubble, succumbed to the wind and weather and became a heap of stones (which were then used as building material)
5. The dig began on April 25th 1984
6. The original construct was of a Cairn, and over time vegetation and earth had filled the rocks, so that it looked like an earthen barrow.
7. The primary internment was of ‘a powerful man who died in middle life’. It lay on the right side, on a shelf of rock, with the head pointing to the east.
8. Two other secondary internment’s were noted, one of a woman (buried with a cow’s tooth and some pottery) and another male, with the urn (see image at this site).

It is interesting to note that the Spelling of Grinlow was all one word and now in modern references appears to be separated.
Wysefool