Monument record MDR530 - Harrod Low Long Barrow, Harratt Grange, Peak Forest
Type and Period (2)
- HUMAN REMAINS (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
- LONG BARROW (Early Neolithic to Middle Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2701 BC)
Protected Status/Designation
Full Description
According to Bray, in the late 18th century, 'There is another of these collection of bones in a pasture, called Harrod Low, in the same forest' [Peak Forest]. (1)
(SK 09848058) Tumulus. (3)
Peak Forest, Sparrowpit Barrow is a round barrow 200 yards north of Harratt Grange. Now a scheduled monument. (4)
There is no trace of a round barrow in the area. The feature shown on the OS 6" map has the appearance of a mutilated long barrow, but it may be a rock outcrop. It is 42m long and is orientated east to west. The eastern half appears to have been decapitated and the overall height is 0.9m. It is 22m wide in the east tapering to 16m in the west. There are vague traces of a narrow ditch, possibly agricultural, on the south side. The feature is turf-covered with some exposed stones, the majority of which are immovable. It is in an area of outcrop rock. Surveyed at 1:2500. (5)
A mutilated miniature long barrow with vague traces of flanking ditches. It is situated in an arable field. Surveyed at 1:2500. (6)
Survey of the barrow shows the dimensions are as stated above. The mound is orientated east-west and is approximately parallel sided. The edges have been previously ploughed over and spread, although this is minimal at the east end on the downslope side and here indicates an original width of c.14m. The east half of the mound is the most truncated, but robber pits to the west indicated this also has been robbed. Surrounding the site are several ploughed over hollows, but none resemble an original ditch. Today there are no rock outcrops in the sites immediate vicinity, contrary to authority 5; perhaps the land has been improved in recent years. Bray implies the bones found here in the 18th century were human, but this should be treated with caution as it may have been an assumption on the part of his informant. The finds attributed to this site by Hart (9) are from Gautries Hill barrow (SMR 11604). (10)
The scheduling notification records that the monument is situated in the north-west uplands of the limestone plateau of Derbyshire and is a long barrow which includes a straight-sided linear mound measuring 42m from east to west by 18m from north to south. At its east end it is c.1m high and, at its west end, c.0.5m high. The east end of the barrow has been truncated by ploughing and faint plough ridges can be seen running north to south, most clearly near the western end of the barrow. There has been no recorded excavation of the site though Bray, writing in 1775, records that human bones were found there in the 18th century. The form and location of the monument, below the crest of a hill, date it to the Neolithic period. (11)
Sources/Archives (11)
- <1> SDR3400 Bibliographic reference: Bray, W. 1783. Sketch of a Tour into Derbyshire and Yorkshire. 184. p 239.
- <2> SDR4433 Article in serial: Addy, S. 1908. 'The names of the Derbyshire and Staffordshire barrows', Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. Volume 30, pp 103-141. pp 123-124.
- <3> SDR12080 Map: Ordnance Survey (OS). 1955. 6".
- <4> SDR915 Bibliographic reference: AM's Eng and Wales (M O W).
- <5> SDR6419 Personal Observation: F1 JR 15-OCT-62.
- <6> SDR6566 Personal Observation: F2 FDC 13-OCT-65.
- <7> SDR8643 Bibliographic reference: Marsden, B. 1977. The Burial Mounds of Derbyshire. p 1.
- <8> SDR14613 Index: NDAT. 1702.
- <9> SDR7076 Bibliographic reference: Hart, C (in Manby, T G & Turnbull, P (eds)). 1986. Searches for the Early Neolithic: A study of Peakland Long Cairns in Archaeology in the Pennines, BAR158. pp 127-136.
- <10> SDR2466 Unpublished document: Barnatt, J. 1989. The Peak District Barrow Survey (updated 1994). Site 1:6.
- <11> SDR20436 Scheduling record: English Heritage. 1994. Scheduling Notification: Harrod Low Long Barrow.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 0984 8059 (45m by 24m) (Centre) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | PEAK FOREST, HIGH PEAK, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (3)
- EDR475
- EDR1069
- EDR1121
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Feb 4 2015 9:32AM