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Experts Dig Out an Ancient Ironworks Leominster's biggest-ever archaeological excavation uncovered important clues about the town's long history. The extensive dig, covering half an acre of the Focus DIY development site at Mill Street, revealed that Leominster was a hive of industry from a very early period... continues... Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by BrigantesNation 9th January 2004ce Edited 30th March 2006ce

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Historic Herefordshire Online Herefordshire's searchable Sites and Monuments Record. Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by Rhiannon 7th July 2004ce Edited 7th July 2004ce

Duke's Farm (Round Barrow(s)) — Miscellaneous

Another of Herefordshire's "lost" round barrows, not shown on the OS 1/25000. This one is notable because of the largely intact cist (minus capstone) contained inside the mound. English Heritage have this to say: The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a bowl barrow, situated on a slight mound on the top of the Cefn Hill ridge, overlooking the Monnow Valley and just west of the Cefn Track. The remains include an earthen mound, c.10m in diameter and c.0.5m high. The mound has an uneven surface and flattish top, in the centre of which is a stone-lined burial chamber, or cist. The cist was revealed when the owner attempted to level the mound in the early 1980s, and consists of four slate slabs set on their sides to enclose a sub-rectangular area, aligned roughly north-south. The two short sides, both 0.76m long and 0.15m wide, are set inside the longer stones, the eastern of which is 1.7m long and 0.25m wide, and the western 1.4m long by 0.16m wide. The chamber is 0.5m deep, and is now empty. Its fill of loose soil was removed by the owner and examined by members of the Herefordshire Archaeology Unit; two flints and some very small bones were recovered. No cap stone was found, and it is possible that this was removed during an early investigation of the site, probably along with further finds from within the chamber. The cist is similar to those found in the Olchon Valley earlier this century, and c.4km to the north west, again just below the Cefn Track, is another example with the same south west aspect (the subject of a separate scheduling); both command impressive views and it is likely that more await discovery along the ridge. The track, which may itself be prehistoric in origin, is also the parish boundary, and these monuments may have served as territorial markers, defining land divisions which have been retained to the present day. Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by thesweetcheat 3rd December 2011ce

Milton Cross (Round Barrow(s)) — Miscellaneous

Group of three ploughed-down round barrows, not shown on the OS 1/25000 map. Worthy of inclusion in view of the relative scarcity of preserved round barrows in this part of Herefordshire. English Heritage have this: NE barrow (SO 38646 60279) The barrow 550m south east of Milton Cross sits at the eastern edge of a field, separated from the Pembridge Road by a hedge. The remains include an earthen mound, c.22m in diameter and 0.6m high. Material for the construction of this mound will have been obtained from a surrounding ditch which is now completely infilled. Central barrow The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a bowl barrow, situated on a level floodplain north of the River Arrow. The land was seasonally flooded and subsesquently divided by a series of drains, many of which have now been filled in. The barrow is in the middle of a line of three similar examples, extending WSW-ENE. A section of Rowe Ditch stretches north- south across the valley for c.800m, passing 250m west of the most westerly of the group. The remains of this middle barrow include an earthen mound, circular in form, and c.24m in diameter by c.0.7m high. Material for the construction of this mound will have been obtained from a surrounding ditch which is now completely infilled. Before the advent of ploughing and the construction of the nearby drains and field boundaries, the three monuments would have formed a clearly visible alignment across the flat valley floor. The other two barrows are the subject of separate schedulings (SM27490, SM27506), as is the Rowe Ditch. SW barrow (SO 38271 60133) The barrow 460m south of Milton Cross includes an earthen mound of circular form, c.32m diameter and 1.2m high. Air photographs taken in 1959 indicate a ditch around the southern half of the mound, from which material for its construction would have been quarried. No surface evidence for this feature is now visible. There is a field boundary immediately to the south west of the barrow beyond which the ground surface has been ploughed flat and is 0.5m lower than its neighbour. Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by thesweetcheat 3rd December 2011ce

Llan Oleu (Round Barrow(s)) — Miscellaneous

The barrows have been damaged by the insertion of a later lime kiln. English Heritage description: The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of two bowl barrows, one superimposed upon the other, and a lime kiln which has been inserted into the first barrow mound. The monument is dramatically situated on a spur of high ground in the foothills of the Black Mountains, overlooking the headwaters of the River Monnow. The remains include an earthen mound of oval form, measuring c.25m south west to north east by c.17m transversely. An almost continuous kerb of large stone blocks is visible around the foot of the mound, except in the south west quarter where it has been modified by the lime kiln. This kerb would originally have formed an internal revetment to the foot of the mound which has subsequently been revealed by erosion. In the north west the kerb appears to turn inwards along an alignment which probably represents the original edge of the barrow, subsequently modified by the construction of the lime kiln. Plough erosion in this area has resulted in a false foot to the mound some 1.5m beyond the kerb. The barrow has a gently domed profile and rises to a height of c.1.8m. Material for its construction will have been quarried from a surrounding ditch, although this has become infilled and no evidence for it is visible at the surface. Superimposed upon this barrow is a second earthen mound, again oval in plan, and offset towards the south west end of the underlying one. This mound measures roughly 10m x 8m and has a domed profile rising c.1.2m. To the south west and south its sides merge with that of the barrow beneath, falling steeply to the surrounding ground level. The south west quarter of the first barrow has been modified by the insertion of what is known to be a lime kiln. The remains of this appear as a hollow measuring c.8m across at the base and rising to the summit of the mound. The hollow represents the remains of the firing chamber and is now filled with a large quantity of stones, many of which show signs of heating. The kiln may have been constructed to provide mortar for the construction of the farm buildings at nearby Llan Oleu. On the northern side of the hollow a number of stone slabs form a ledge leading into the chamber, which may be the remains of the kiln lining, or perhaps a ledge which would have supported a framework above the hearth, holding the stone for burning. In its lofty position the monument commands impressive views in all directions and is clearly visible from below the surrounding area. A footpath passes below it to the north and Offa's Dyke path passes along the ridge above. Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by thesweetcheat 3rd December 2011ce

Walford Barrow (Round Barrow(s)) — Miscellaneous

English Heritage description: Despite an early investigation of the mound, the bowl barrow west of Walford Farm is a well preserved example of this class of monument. The barrow mound will retain details of its method of construction and evidence for the burial practices of its builders. The accumulated ditch fills will contain environmental evidence of activity at the barrow and land use around it. The buried ground surface beneath the mound itself will similarly preserve environmental evidence for the landscape in which the barrow was constructed. The 18th century investigation of this barrow, while causing only slight disturbance to the mound, has demonstrated the importance of its deposits. Other records indicate its probable association with similar barrows, now destroyed. The barrow has group value drawn from surrounding monuments, and its roadside position makes this barrow a clearly visible landmark. Details The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a bowl barrow situated on level ground south of the River Teme and immediately south of the A4113. The barrow consists of an earthen mound, circular in form, c.20m diameter and c.1.2m high. Material for the construction of the barrow mound will have been quarried from a surrounding ditch, which is now completely infilled and no longer visible on the surface. The barrow mound has a slightly flattened top which may have resulted from an archaeological investigation, in 1736, when an urn containing human bone was found. The barrow stands in an archaeologically rich area, which includes the Iron Age hillforts of Brandon Camp and Coxall Knoll, two Roman camps, and the Romano-British town of Leintwardine to the east on a Roman road (all the subject of separate schedulings). Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by thesweetcheat 3rd December 2011ce

Stapleton Henge — Links

BBC Hereford and Worcester News article (2006) about excavations at Stapleton henge and nearby Iron Age site. Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by thesweetcheat 2nd December 2011ce

Hill Croft Field (Causewayed Enclosure) — Miscellaneous

Recently discovered Neolithic causewayed enclosure, a rarity in Herefordshire (at present). Description from Pastscape: Geophysical Survey and Excavation were carried out at a cropmarked enclosure site at Hill Croft Field, Bodenham as part of the Herefordshire Rivers Lugg Valley Project. The geophysical survey recorded and located the ditch and entrance, but no further archaeological features were identified. Three 10m x 5m trenches were opened in order to examine different areas of the site. The archaeological deposits in Trench 1 confirmed the interpretation of the enclosure as a site of the causewayed camp tradition. The site of an Early Neolithic causewayed enclosure at Hill Croft Field, 400 metres East of Ashgrove Farm, Bodenham. Aerial photographs of the area revealed a cropmark of a curvilinear interrupted ditch forming an irregular ovoid enclosure, measuring approximately 175 metres by 168 metres. This was originally believed to represent an Iron Age hilltop enclosure. Geophysical survey and excavation were carried out in 2006 as part of the Herefordshire Rivers Lugg Valley Project. This recorded and located the ditch and entrance, but no further archaeological features were identified. Three trenches were excavated, one of which exposed the entrance identified on the aerial photo, and the western ditch terminal. The ditch ranged in width from 2.9 to 3.1 metres. The finds from the excavation, including animal bone, flint, pottery, charcoal and mollusc shells, all dated to the Early Neolithic period. This is the first causewayed enclosure to be identified in Herefordshire and also in the wider West Midlands. The site was included in research into the dating of Early Neolithic enclosures, and radiocarbon dates estimate the date of construction to be in 3640-3500 cal BC. The ditch at Hill Croft Field may have largely infilled by the later fourth millennium cal BC. The mid-fourth millennium cal BC date of the monument confirms that in this region, as in others, enclosures of the period included forms other than the readily recognised causewayed plans of, for example, Dorstone Hill or Womaston. Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by thesweetcheat 2nd December 2011ce

Wiral Cairn, Black Mountains (Cairn(s)) — Images (click to view fullsize)

Posted by thesweetcheat 27th November 2011ce