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Monument record MDR2323 - Platform cairn, Hazelbadge Hall, Hazlebadge

Type and Period (6)

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SK 1731 8032: Hazelbadge Hall, Round Cairn: Tumulus. (1) SK 17318032. Barrow, mainly of stones, diameter 57ft., height 3ft. Excavated by B. Bagshawe in 1866 and 1868. Many contracted skeletons, two type 'A' Beakers, two Food Vessels, an overhanging rim urn, seven cists and part of a jet or shale bracelet were found. Damaged by a home-guard trench and partially restored. Scheduled Ancient Monument. Finds in Sheffield City Museum. (2) Mutilation is still evident. Published survey (25") revised. (5) A preliminary excavation by Mr. B.M. Marsden in 1966 uncovered a multiple grave containing remains of five burials accompanied by a corded bell beaker. A further excavation will be made in 1967. (6) SK 17318033. A large flat-topped cairn containing some 16 burials which in turn contained about 24 skeletons, both crouched and extended. An inverted urn with burnt bones and ashes and another find of broken sherds with burnt bones suggests two cremations. A food vessel, beaker fragments, a bone pin, spatula, a bronze fragment and a flint arrowhead were also found. (8) SK 173802. The monument is a form of platform cairn comprising a roughly circular flat-topped mound with a diameter of c.18m. It is c.0.75m high and has a hilltop location overlooking Bradwell Dale in the north-eastern shelves of the limestone plateau of Derbyshire. Partial excavations of the mound were carried out by Bagshawe between 1866 and 1868 and by Harris in 1924. During World War II a home guard trench was dug around the southern rim. Bagshawe found the remains of several burials including a crouched inhumation in a rectangular cist or grave, a crouched inhumation in an oval cist accompanied by a pottery food vessel, a crouched inhumation in a ruined cist set high in the mound, and a decayed inhumation in an oval cist accompanied by a barbed flint arrowhead. Two pavements were uncovered, one beneath an extended inhumation and the other beneath a crouched inhumation. The crouched skeleton of a child was found accompanied by a pottery beaker and a piece of bronze while, near the surface of the mound, were the disturbed remains of four other inhumations. Part of a shale bracelet and a flint scraper were also recovered in addition to a bone pin and spatula. The remains indicate that the monument had an extended period of use throughout the Beaker and Early Bronze Age periods. Roughly 50m south-west of the platform cairn is a smaller mound with a diameter of 9m by 7m and a height of c.0.5m. This may be a satellite barrow associated with the larger cairn. However, an oval scoop taken out of its west side suggests it may alternatively be a small limekiln, possibly associated with Hill Rake since quicklime was sometimes used in blasting as a cheap substitute for gunpowder. (9) Dimensions: Diameter is 18m (57ft) and height is 1.1m (4ft). Large flat-topped cairn excavated by B Bagshawe between 1866-1868. Many skeletons were found including one crouched with an S2 (W) Beaker and a fragment of bronze and another in an open-ended cist with fragments of another S2 (W) Beaker and a bone pin and spatula. The monument was further excavated by T.A. Harris in 1924, and surveyed by J. Bartlett in 1957. (10) The previous descriptions of Bagshaw's excavations are inadequate. An examination of source (4) indicates the following: 1866, a central trench was dug revealing, a rectangular cist with a contracted inhumation. An oval cist with a contracted inhumation and Food Vessel A ruined cist high in the mound with a contracted inhumation. An oval cist with decayed inhumation and a barbed flint arrowhead. Two probable pavements, one with an extended inhumation, the other, contracted. A contracted child inhumation with a Beaker and a piece of bronze. A contracted inhumation, two decayed inhumations near the surface, and four fragmentary inhumations. Animal bones were found throughout the trench and also part of the shale bracelet and a flint scraper. (11) Site monitoring has been carried out and site appears not to be under threat. (12)

Sources/Archives (12)

  • <1> Map: Ordnance Survey (OS). 1955. 6".
  • <2> Index: Preston, F L. 1956. Transcript Hunter Index D/21.
  • <3> Article in serial: Manby, T. 1957. 'Food vessels of the Peak District', Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. Volume 77, pp 1-29.
  • <4> Unpublished document: Bagshawe, B. Manuscript (Sheffield City Museum & Sheffield City Library).
  • <5> Personal Observation: F1 BHS 08-SEP-65.
  • <6> Personal Observation: Marsden, B. 1967. Personal Communication, Derbyshire Times, 24th February, 1967.
  • <7> Bibliographic reference: Clarke, D L. 1970. Beaker Pottery of Great Britain and Ireland. Nos. 118,119.
  • <8> Bibliographic reference: Marsden, B. 1977. The Burial Mounds of Derbyshire. pp 55-57.
  • <9> Bibliographic reference: 1978. DOE (IAM) AM England. 3 24.
  • <10> Index: NDAT. 1225.
  • <11> Unpublished document: Barnatt, J. 1989. The Peak District Barrow Survey (updated 1994). Site 3:2.
  • <12> Unpublished document: Wheal, S (PDNPA). 2009. Scheduled Monument Monitoring Form: Platform cairn south of Hill Rake.

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Grid reference Centred SK 1731 8031 (29m by 29m) (Centre)
Civil Parish HAZLEBADGE, DERBYSHIRE DALES, DERBYSHIRE

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (5)

  • EDR366
  • EDR492
  • EDR493
  • EDR909
  • EDR3200

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Record last edited

Jun 22 2015 11:56AM

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