Monument record MDR3359 - Gallows Knoll, Hopton
Type and Period (2)
- GALLOWS MOUND ? (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- BARROW ? (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
Gallows Knoll appears on the 6" OS map of 1955. (1) At SK 26585462 is an almost square flat topped mound with the eastern corner trimmed by a modern road. Obviously not a tumulus, it is probably a gallows mound as the name suggests. Surveyed at 1/2500. (2) Listed as a possible barrow. (3)
Gallows Knoll is a large flat-topped mound in a slight col on a broad ridge. It is of uncertain date and function. It is sub-square, with slightly concave sides. The sides are steep and the top slightly domed. The full height of the mound is 1.4-1.6m. Surrounding the site (although destroyed in part) is a narrow ditch which today is 0.3-0.5m deep and 2-3m wide (far too small to be a quarry ditch for the construction of the entire mound). The south-east corner of the mound has been truncated by a drystone wall and lane. The north-east corner has been robbed and the ditch to the west has been ploughed out. At the centre of the mound is a small trench with associated upcast - probably the work of Webb in recent years, but not published (information from the local farmer). While the name of the site suggests a gallows may have stood here, this seems an unlikely explanation for the mound itself. No local parallels are known and it seems unlikely that such a massive mound would be built in this isolated location well away from any population centre. If the site is a barrow, again it has no parallel. No other explanations are apparent. (5)
Sources/Archives (5)
- <1> SDR11764 Map: Ordnance Survey (OS). 1955. 6".
- <2> SDR6074 Personal Observation: F1 BHS 09-MAY-66.
- <3> SDR8643 Bibliographic reference: Marsden, B. 1977. The Burial Mounds of Derbyshire. p 63.
- <4> SDR9751 Index: NDAT. 1359. 1359.
- <5> SDR2466 Unpublished document: Barnatt, J. 1989. The Peak District Barrow Survey (updated 1994). Site 10:30.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 2657 5463 (40m by 47m) (Centre) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | HOPTON, DERBYSHIRE DALES, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
- EDR934
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Dec 14 2017 4:41PM