Monument record MLI42977 - Neolithic Long Barrow, Grebby Hall, Scremby

Summary

Cropmarks of a Neolithic long barrow, 250m north of Grebby Hall, Scremby.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status/Designation

Full Description

Cropmarks of a Neolithic long barrow, 250m north of Grebby Hall, Scremby. Visible as a slightly elongated, oblong-shaped enclosure with rounded corners, defined by a single ditch measuring roughly 48m in length and 20m wide at its broadest (south-eastern) end. Identified on aerial photography examined as part of the National Mapping Programme. {1}{2} The monument includes the buried remains of a Neolithic long barrow located below the summit of a low plateau between two wide, shallow river valleys. The western river drains into the river Lymn, and that to the east is a tributary of the beck. Although the monument cannot be seen on the ground, it is clearly visible from the air as a cropmark on aerial photographs. It appears as an elongated oblong enclosure, aligned north-west to south-east, some 60m long by 35m wide. The cropmark representing the surrounding ditch has rounded corners and its circuit is unbroken, a form which is thought to indicate an example of a simpler type of this monument class. The central enclosure would have been the focus for mortuary activities including the exposure of human remains, and structures and deposits relating to this activity will survive as buried features. The monument is situated less than 3km south of both the Skendleby group of long barrows and the pair known as Deadmen's Graves. The barrow will retain rare and valuable archaeological deposits on the buried ground surface and in the fills of the ditch. These will provide important information concerning the dating and construction of the barrow, and the sequence of mortuary ritual at the site. Environmental evidence preserved in the same contexts will illustrate the appearance of the landscape in which the monument was set. For more detail see scheduling document 27888. {3} The barrow sits on a west facing slope, overlooking the entrance to Fordington Bottoms, a side valley of the River Lymn. It is aligned south-south-east to north-north-west, with the long axis running parallel to the contours. It takes the form of a trapezoidal enclosure with straight terminals, and is visible as soilmarks and cropmarks on aerial photographs. A large rectilinear enclosure with entrance gap on its eastern side lies adjacent, 30 metres to north. Field walking conducted in March 1991 revealed no surface traces but yielded two greyware sherds of probable Romano-British date from the general area of adjacent enclosure. {4}{5} More recent analysis of the aerial photography for this area shows the cropmarks of a trapezoidal ditched enclosure measuring c.60m in length. The barrow is aligned on a north-west to south-east axis, and measures 23m wide at the south-eastern end, taping to 16m at the north-western end. The sides are straight, but have slightly curved corners. The barrow lies approximately 70m north-east of its given location in the scheduling listing. To the north-east of the barrow is a large sub-rectangular ditched enclosure, possibly Iron Age in date, visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs (see MLI43203). There are slight cropmarks of possible ditch fragments around the barrow site, but these are likely to be either geological in origin or fragmented remains of later boundary ditches. {6}{7} The re-analysis of aerial photographic data prompted an amendment to the scheduling for this monument to be made in May 2024. The scheduling now more accurately covers the remains of the long barrow, along with the nearby possible Iron Age enclosure (see MLI43203). The barrow measures approximately 57m in length, with rounded corners and an unbroken circuit. For the full description and the legal address of this scheduled monument please refer to the appropriate entry in the National Heritage List for England. {8}

Sources/Archives (8)

  •  Aerial Photograph: Paul Everson. 1975-90. RCHM. 2939/36 (1980).
  •  Map: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1992-1996. Lincolnshire National Mapping Programme. TF4369: LI.179.8.1.
  •  Scheduling Record: ENGLISH HERITAGE. 1996. SCHEDULING DOCUMENT 27888. MPP 22.
  •  Article in Serial: Dilwyn Jones. 1998. 'Long Barrows and Neolithic Elongated Enclosures in Lincolnshire: An Analysis of the Air Photographic Evidence' in Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society. vol.64, pp.83-114, no.1.
  •  Index: Dilwyn Jones. 1998. Gazetteer of Neolithic Elongated Enclosures and Extant Long Barrows in (Historic) Lincolnshire. no.1.
  •  Aerial Photograph: Aerial Photograph. NMR TF4369/4/452 (26/07/1979).
  •  Aerial Photograph: Aerial Photograph. NMR TF4369/37 (16/07/2003).
  •  Website: Historic England (formerly English Heritage). 2011->. The National Heritage List for England. http://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/. 1013907.

Map

Location

Grid reference Centred TF 4378 6901 (52m by 63m) Estimated from Sources
Civil Parish SCREMBY, EAST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (1)

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Record last edited

May 20 2024 3:07PM

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