Monument record MDR7657 - Cairn, Brushfield Hough, north-east of Taddington Field Farm, Brushfield
Type and Period (3)
- CAIRN (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
- CIST (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
- INHUMATION (Late Neolithic to Saxon - 2500 BC to 1065 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
[SK 16677103 approx.] Tumulus, on steep sloping ground, opened by Major Harris about 1925 after previous looting for stone. According to Brevil it is a type of "horned cairn" with a long axis and two "arms". It has four slabbed graves on the long axis and one in each arm. There were no skeletons in the graves. A fragment of Bronze Age pot was found but the remainder was Romano-British. (1).
A sherd of Peterborough ware was recovered from outside the perimeter of the mound. The flints from the cist may be of a similar age. (2,7)
The remains of this cairn is situated at SK 16847089. It is now too mutilated to permit type classification. Surveyed at 1/2500. (3)
A cairn on steep sloping ground opened by Major Harris about 1925 after previous looting for stone. It has been suggested that this is a type of horned cairn with a long axis and two arms. It has slabbed graves on the long axis and one in each arm. No skeletons were recovered from the graves, only one piece of Bronze Age pottery and some Roman pottery. One grave produced two flint scrapers and five flakes. One cist had been divided into three compartments. Two other circular dry walled structures were built into the mound which may have been graves. The only interment was a secondary extended inhumation of Iron Age date or later, accompanied by a chert knife. (4)
This ruined site is particularly difficult to interpret. Extensive unpublished excavation by Harris adds to this confusion. Some form of mound must have existed prior to 1924, and finds include an extended inhumation. However, the mound may have been mutilated and incorporated more recent features. It was thought to be a horned long cairn by Harris, but this is far from certain. The only mound today (and probably in 1924) is an amorphous one to the south-west (said by Harris to be the horned end). The tail end to the north-east is ephemeral and poorly defined - it may be natural or upcast from excavations. The location of the site, on a small valley-side shelf, is unique (and unlikely?) for a Neolithic long cairn in the region. The interpretation as a tripartite cist seems highly unlikely. The low vertical orthostats could be interpreted with equal plausibility as the footings of a Romano-British or possibly medieval wall. The orthostats in the 'cist' in the western 'horn' could represent a continuation of this postulated wall, rather than being part of a cist. The pit in the south-east 'horn' appears today to be a simple pit into natural. It is not clear if this predates 1924 or was 'created' during excavation. Little can be said of the other features noted by Harris (two empty cists, intrusive inhumation) as their locations are unstated and are not apparent today. In conclusion, the evidence that this is a Neolithic long cairn is extremely tenuous. (8).
Two barrows adjacent to each other. They are situated to the south of the farmstead and marked as cairns on the Ordnance Survey. One is well preserved round barrow [SMR 2703] typical of the later Neolithic to earlier Bronze Age period. It is approximately 13 to 15 metres in diameter and 0.8 metres high. The other [SMR 2701] is totally ruined and its form cannot be identified though it is thought to be a long cairn. There is a record of early 20th century excavations at this location which produced a burial and Neolithic pottery. There is some damage to the better preserved features from scrub. (9).
Site monitoring has been carried out. See record for details. (10)
Sources/Archives (10)
- <1> SDR4103 Bibliographic reference: Corr. 6" (D. Bramwell 21.5.50).
- <2> SDR8261 Unpublished document: 1958. Letter in Sheffield City Museum: Bartlett, J to Major Harris.
- <3> SDR6369 Personal Observation: F1 JB 15-DEC-65.
- <4> SDR8643 Bibliographic reference: Marsden, B. 1977. The Burial Mounds of Derbyshire. p 25.
- <5> SDR18971 Photograph: Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA). Slide Collection. 1977: 2701.1-2.
- <6> SDR13662 Archive: Butcher, L. Unfinished plans in Sheffield City Museum.
- <7> SDR14010 Index: NDAT. 0509. 0509.
- <8> SDR2466 Unpublished document: Barnatt, J. 1989. The Peak District Barrow Survey (updated 1994). Site 5:14.
- <9> SDR20307 Unpublished document: Bevan, B (PDNPA). 1994. Brushfield Hough, Brushfield, Great Longstone, Ashford, Taddington and Sheldon Parishes, Derbyshire, Archaeological Survey, 1994. No. 14, p13.
- <10> SDR22199 Unpublished document: Wheal, S (PDNPA). 2009. Scheduled Monument Monitoring Form: Brushfield Hough bowl barrow.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 1684 7089 (16m by 18m) (Centre) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | BRUSHFIELD, DERBYSHIRE DALES, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (3)
- EDR39
- EDR3176
- EDR1101
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Feb 2 2015 2:25PM