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The Modern Antiquarian Forum » Tallest round barrow in the UK? |
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GLADMAN 964 posts |
Jul 13, 2024, 10:30
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Following a recent visit to the massive round barrow near Veryan, Cornwall (apparently now c18ft although quoted back in 1855 at being 28ft..) I got to wondering just which is the tallest remaining round barrow - as opposed to cairn - in Britain and Ireland? I'm rubbish at Googling.. however - excluding Silbury and Bartlow Hills - I'm currently thinking from experience it may be Willy Howe at 25ft?; Lanceborough at 23ft?; Duggleby Howe at 22ft and Knowlton Great Barrow at 20ft? Can't find a height for Enford, to be fair. Wales, aside from Garth Hill is the land of cairns... as is Scotland. Ireland?
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thesweetcheat 6262 posts |
Jul 14, 2024, 11:06
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GLADMAN wrote: Following a recent visit to the massive round barrow near Veryan, Cornwall (apparently now c18ft although quoted back in 1855 at being 28ft..) I got to wondering just which is the tallest remaining round barrow - as opposed to cairn - in Britain and Ireland? I'm rubbish at Googling.. however - excluding Silbury and Bartlow Hills - I'm currently thinking from experience it may be Willy Howe at 25ft?; Lanceborough at 23ft?; Duggleby Howe at 22ft and Knowlton Great Barrow at 20ft? Can't find a height for Enford, to be fair. Wales, aside from Garth Hill is the land of cairns... as is Scotland. Ireland? Nice list of big old barrows. Some of the bigger round barrows do have stone elements too in the mound mix, which aren't always obvious (especially the ones covered in gorse or bilberries). I guess The Gop is a cairn, properly. The biggest one close to home for me is Emma's Grove, which at 12ft is pretty decent for these ploughed-down parts, but not in the same league as those in your list. https://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/11656/emmas_grove.html
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GLADMAN 964 posts |
Jul 14, 2024, 13:04
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thesweetcheat wrote: Nice list of big old barrows. Some of the bigger round barrows do have stone elements too in the mound mix, which aren't always obvious (especially the ones covered in gorse or bilberries). I guess The Gop is a cairn, properly. The biggest one close to home for me is Emma's Grove, which at 12ft is pretty decent for these ploughed-down parts, but not in the same league as those in your list. https://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/11656/emmas_grove.html Missed Emma's Grove to date - which is pretty poor since I've been to Crickley a few times. Think you're right and the larger barrow need an element of stone/gravel for stability. The Gop's getting on for 40ft so ridiculously big. Needs a revisit that one
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Monganaut 2425 posts |
Edited Jul 15, 2024, 18:40
Jul 15, 2024, 18:01
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One down the road from me, a rare large midland barrow must be a contender. Aptly called Barrow Hill. https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=31001 edit, or this one Crookbarrow Hill/Whittington Tump just off the M5. Though descriptor does say partially man made hill not a barrow specifically. https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=8065 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whittington_Tump
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GLADMAN 964 posts |
Jul 15, 2024, 20:42
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Monganaut wrote: One down the road from me, a rare large midland barrow must be a contender. Aptly called Barrow Hill. https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=31001 edit, or this one Crookbarrow Hill/Whittington Tump just off the M5. Though descriptor does say partially man made hill not a barrow specifically. https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=8065 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whittington_Tump Historic England seems to think Barrow Hill is a relatively 'normal' sized barrow plonked on top of a hillock? Be good if someone could persuade the landowner to let them go have a look... funnily enough, it seems Carl's already been here. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1005326?section=official-list-entry Crookbarrow Hill looks intriguing, though. Said to be a motte, but with antiquarian opinion about being a burial mound going back centuries.... Norman's weren't exactly averse to reusing mounds...
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Monganaut 2425 posts |
Edited Jul 16, 2024, 16:03
Jul 16, 2024, 15:58
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Not sure I agree with historic England tbh. Visited Several times, true it's at the top of a steepish in parts country lane hillock, but the land immediatedly around the 'tump' is fairly flatish for a coupla hundred meters all around. Would be great to get close up access, but think it's a small holding around the barrow, and I've never seen anyone there tbh. Also, there is a footpath that crosses the Southern edge of the enclosure boundary that gives fairl good views. Crookbarrow can be viewed up close, or as a smeer as you whip around the M5 Junction for Worcester. It's a wierd one, if it wasn't for it being noted on the old OS maps, I'd have said it was motorway spoil, like another 'tump' further North towards the Clent Hills right alongside the M5 on the road to Bromsgrove. Barrow Hill is also visible from Walton Hill which is part of The Clents (worth a visit, amazing views across the vale of Evesham, many intervisable hillforts dotted about, and some goodly up and down huffage t be had walking between the two hills). I'd say the barrow is easy nearly two stories high. Guess it could have been later adapted as a Saxon Law mound, though I've not seen any mention of that, so maybe not). The area was settled by the Hwicce during the Iron Age period, it's apparently where the local hillfort Wychbury Hill gets it's name from. (Another bit near Clents worth a visit, some well preserved ramparts for most of it's circumference, and an abundance of Yew trees inside. Slight aside, apparently Clent is an Iron Age name, though no indication of it's meaning has been discovered.
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thesweetcheat 6262 posts |
Jul 16, 2024, 19:13
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In a similar vein there's St Weonard's Tump in Herefordshire, a Bronze Age round barrow reused as a Norman motte: https://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/2232/st_weonards_tump.html
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