Monument record MLI54204 - ASH HILL (LONG BARROW) IN SWINHOPE PARK
Summary
ASH HILL (LONG BARROW) IN SWINHOPE PARK
Type and Period (3)
- LONG BARROW (Early Neolithic to Late Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
- DITCH (Early Neolithic to Late Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
- PIT (Early Neolithic to Late Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
Protected Status/Designation
Full Description
The barrow is one of the most perfectly preserved in the county. It stands on level ground in the west corner of Swinhope Park close to, and parallel with, the north-west boundary. It is on the northern slope of the valley of the Swinhope Beck and almost opposite its more impressive neighbour Hoe Hill. Its size is not remarkable but the only damage it has ever suffered is due to natural causes. Several large trees: three beeches, one Scots fir and an ash, now form its spire and it is unfortunate that they have mostly grown on the east end. This has probably caused internal disturbance in the barrow, save at the north-east end where the influence of the beeches has caused bare soil and at the very end rabbits have burrowed freely. {1}
Eroded at the north end by a clearing area from tractors. It is very overgrown. {2}{3}{4}{5}{6}
The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of an early Neolithic long barrow located on the west side of the Swinhope valley. It is aligned north-north-east by south-south-west and is roughly trapezoidal measuring approximately 42m long by 17m wide at the northern end, narrowing to 10m at the south. The mound in about 2.25m high at the north, sloping away to the south. In 1986 limited archaeological investigations were carried out which demonstrated the existence of a quarry ditch; finds included worked flint, Neolithic pottery and animal bone (radiocarbon dated to 3945-3690BC). An oval pit was discovered about 3.5m west of the western edge of the quarry ditch, which contained Neolithic and beaker pottery and flints. There were also Roman and Anglo-Scandinavian finds. Similar monuments in the area, forming a group associated with the Waithe Beck pose wider questions about the nature of Neolithic settlement in the area. The made surface of the adjacent estate road together with the remains of the structures associated with Binbrook airbase are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them is included. It includes a 2m boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the support and preservation of the monument. For more detail see the revised scheduling document 27854. {7}
This long barrow is located on the upper slope of the valley of the Waithe Beck. It is aligned north-north-east by south-south-west, and its long axis runs parallel to the contours. It is surrounded and probably truncated by Second World War airfield buildings. {8}
Sources/Archives (8)
- <1> SLI4156 Scheduling Record: HBMC. AM 7. SAM 70.
- <2> SLI4031 Scheduling Record: HBMC. 1987. AM 107. SAM 70.
- <3> SLI833 Bibliographic Reference: KENDRICK AND HAWKES. ARCHAEOLOGY IN ENGLAND AND WALES. P70.
- <4> SLI322 Article in Serial: C.W. Phillips. 1934. 'The Present State of Archaeology in Lincolnshire: Part 1' in the Archaeological Journal. VOL89, PP181-182.
- <5> SLI3316 Index: SMR FILE. SWINHOPE. TF 29 NW:P,1976, -.
- <6> SLI2775 Index: OS CARD INDEX. SWINHOPE. TF 29 NW:10 -.
- <7> SLI4302 Scheduling Record: ENGLISH HERITAGE. 1996. REVISED SCHEDULING DOCUMENT 27854. MPP 23.
- <8> SLI2302 Index: Dilwyn Jones. 1998. Gazetteer of Neolithic Elongated Enclosures and Extant Long Barrows in (Historic) Lincolnshire. NO 56.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred TF 2089 9612 (50m by 65m) Estimated from Sources |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | SWINHOPE, WEST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (3)
Related Events/Activities (1)
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External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 21 2021 8:35PM
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