Monument record MDR2328 - Round Barrow, Dirt Low, Castleton
Type and Period (3)
- INHUMATION (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
- CREMATION (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
- ROUND BARROW (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
The dimensions of this round barrow are: diameter is 16m (40ft); height is 1.1m (4ft). Near the centre 0.3m (1ft) below the surface was an inverted Collared Urn over a cremation. In a scoop in the natural in the centre of the mound was an adult and a child inhumation, with a bronze ring and a quartz and a fossliferous limestone pebble, and a jet bead. To the north was some cremated bone, to the west was a Collared Urn, containing a cremation. On the south side was an inhumation and a cremation with a quartz hammerstone and a backed flint knife. On the natural near the centre was a plain urn (lost) containing a cremation with some animal bones. The material is now in Bolton Museum. (2)
The Siggett barrow, to the left of the road from Tideswell to Castleton "almost overhanging the Vale of Hope" was excavated by Pennington in 1873. Near the centre was a contracted burial with a bronze ring, a jet bead and a quartz pebble. Three urns were found with burnt bones and also traces of several other cremations and "a well-chipped celt". The finds are now in Castleton Museum. (4)
'Dirt Low' Barrow has a diameter (in 1951) of approximately 65 ft, but it is much disturbed. The finds are in Bolton Museum. (5)
The barrow is much mutilated. Published survey (25") revised. (6)
A barrow, 65ft in diameter, excavated by Pennington in 1873. A primary crouched burial of a female and child in a rock grave together with a bronze ring, jet beads, flint axe and quartz pebbles. Five cremations, three in urns of which two were upright and one was inverted. The other cremations were simple burnt bone deposits, one with two flint flakes and a quartz pebble. (8)
The flint axe was 2 inches in length, 1 5/8 inches in breadth and its cutting edge was 1 1/8 inches in breadth. (9)
The site today consists of a largely natural mound of c.25m diameter which is 0.5m high (1.0m downslope) and cut by quarries to north and south. The latter demonstrates the mound here comprises bedrock to nearly its full height. The entire is hummocky and this may be vestiges of a barrow removed subsequent to 1873. Alternatively Pennington may have mis-stated the diameter and thus the site is much as he saw it, although this seems unlikely given the number of finds he made at depth. The summary of the excavated finds given above is adequate except for the following points. The scoop was near the centre rather than at it. The northern cremation was stated to be human, the south inhumation was of a child and the cremation here was said to be human in 1874 and 1877 but animal in 1875, a second flint (a flake?) was found with this deposit. The animal bones with the last deposit were burnt and mixed with the human cremation. (10)
This mound is c.25m across and is 0.5-1m high. It has been cut into by quarrying where bedrock is exposed, which illustrates the mound is largely a natural knoll. However the site is certainly a barrow, with parts that are artificially built, as illustrated by Pennington's excavation in 1873. The finds date the mound to the first half of the 2nd millennium BC. (11)
The finds are located in Bolton Museum with references numbers of A109.1969 - A112.1969; A118.1969 - A121.1969.
Sources/Archives (11)
- <1> SDR12601 Article in serial: Pennington, R. 1874. Notes on a Barrows Opening near Castleton. Reliquary. Volume 14. pp 85-88.
- <2> SDR12606 Article in serial: Pennington, R. 1875. Notes on Some Tumuli and Stone Circles Near Castleton, Derbyshire. Volume 4. pp 379-380.
- <3> SDR12600 Bibliographic reference: Pennington, R. 1877. Notes on the Barrows and Bone Caves of Derbyshire. pp 30-32.
- <4> SDR6017 Bibliographic reference: Evans, J. 1897. Ancient Stone Implements of Great Britain.
- <5> SDR15480 Index: Preston, F L. 1956. Transcript Hunter Index. No.2, F/88. D/36.
- <6> SDR6119 Personal Observation: F1 BHS 22-SEP-65.
- <7> SDR3208 Unpublished document: Beswick, P. 1969. The Rooke Pennington Collection from Derbyshire in Bolton Museum.
- <8> SDR8643 Bibliographic reference: Marsden, B. 1977. The Burial Mounds of Derbyshire. p 27.
- <9> SDR14420 Index: NDAT. 0607.
- <10> SDR2466 Unpublished document: Barnatt, J. 1989. The Peak District Barrow Survey (updated 1994). Site 3:1.
- <11> SDR20408 Unpublished document: Barnatt, J (PDNPA). 1992. Aston Hall, land at Castleton, Derbyshire, archaeological survey, 1992. No. 8, p 3.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 1555 8229 (19m by 19m) (Centre) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | CASTLETON, HIGH PEAK, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (3)
- EDR513
- EDR3680
- EDR1315
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Jan 11 2016 12:14PM