Monument record MDR1936 - Chelmorton Low Bowl Barrow (east), Chelmorton Low, Chelmorton
Type and Period (2)
- BOWL BARROW (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
- CREMATION (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
There are two barrows on the summit of the hill called Lowe above Chelmorton, the circumference of the larger one is nearly eighty yards [SMR 3803], the smaller about twenty [SMR 3804]. The latter was examined by Bateman on the 9th September 1846 but only calcined bone, a flint lance-head and rats' bones were found. (2)
The two bowl barrows on Chelmorton Low are located on a hilltop on the western edge of Taddington Moor on the limestone plateau of Derbyshire. The monument includes both barrows within a single constraint area. The larger, southwestern barrow comprises a sub-circular mound measuring 24m by 22m and surviving to a height of c.1.5m. It is situated c.20m from the smaller, north-eastern barrow which is roughly circular and measures 18.5m by 17.5m by
c.1m high. Both barrows have suffered disturbance in the past, both by eighteenth-century wall builders who robbed them of their stone and by partial excavation. In 1782, the larger barrow was found to contain a stone cist which held the remains of four or five inhumations and was situated on the north-east side, just inside a kerb of limestone blocks. This kerb was partially uncovered in 1961 by Forde-Johnson when it was demonstrated that it formed part of a ring inside the barrow of 19.5m diameter. Disturbed human bones were also found by Salt in 1909, near to the centre of the barrow on the western side. The smaller barrow was partially excavated by Salt and Forde-Johnson, and also by Thomas Bateman in 1846. Bateman recovered flint implements and evidence of a cremation, while a polygonal kerb of stone blocks was partially uncovered by Forde-Johnson. The excavated remains indicate a Bronze Age date for both barrows. (4)
Dimensions: 18.5m by 17.5m. The smaller (SMR 3804), north-easterly of a pair of round barrows (see SMR 3803). Excavated by Bateman in 1846 who found evidence for cremation as well as flintwork. Excavations by Forde-Johnstone in 1961 showed that the mound had a possibly polygonal kerb of larger stone around the mound. (5)
The central and southern side have been damaged and the finds made by Bateman may well have been previously disturbed. The central pit predates 1846. Salt dug a trench in 1909. A visible scar running south-west to the centre may be this. He made no finds. The 1961 excavation was confined to a small trench at the south-east edge. (8,11)
Sources/Archives (12)
- <1> SDR13082 Bibliographic reference: Pilkington, J. 1789. A View of the Present State of Derbyshire, Volume 2. pp 424-426.
- <2> SDR2903 Bibliographic reference: Bateman, T. 1848. Vestiges of the Antiquities of Derbyshire. pp 21-22, 96-97.
- <3> SDR3119 Bibliographic reference: Bateman, T. n.d.. Illustrations of Antiquity.
- <4> SDR731 Scheduling record: Ministry of Works. 1961. Ancient Monuments of England and Wales. 13348.
- <5> SDR6742 Article in serial: Forde-Johnston, J. 1962. 'The excavation of two barrows on Chelmorton Low', Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. Volume 82. pp 82-90.
- <6> SDR8643 Bibliographic reference: Marsden, B. 1977. The Burial Mounds of Derbyshire. p27.
- <7> SDR10811 Index: North Derbyshire Archaeological Committee (NDAC). North Derbyshire Archaeological Committee Index. 1977: 0673.
- <7> SDR3669 Bibliographic reference:
- <8> SDR16959 Personal Observation: Smith, K. 1983. Pers. Comm..
- <9> SDR12725 Personal Observation: Smith, K. 1989. Pers. Comm..
- <10> SDR14046 Index: NDAT. 0673.
- <11> SDR2466 Unpublished document: Barnatt, J. 1989. The Peak District Barrow Survey (updated 1994). Site 5:5.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 1143 7063 (18m by 17m) (Centre) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | CHELMORTON, DERBYSHIRE DALES, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (4)
- EDR221
- EDR248
- EDR331
- EDR88
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External Links (0)
Record last edited
Apr 30 2015 10:50AM