Reasons for Designation
Hlaews are pre-Christian burial monuments of Anglo-Saxon or Viking date and
may be found singly or in small groups. Typically they are constructed of
earth and usually comprise a low hemispherical mound or a combination of
mound, inner ditch and outer bank covering one or more burials which may be
inhumations, cremations or both. Most hlaews contain rich grave-goods,
indicating the high status of the occupants, and these goods date Anglian
hlaews to the late sixth and seventh centuries AD and Viking hlaews to the
ninth century. There are only between fifty and sixty authenticated hlaews
recorded nationally, with particular concentrations in the Peak District and
Wiltshire. They are one of a restricted range of monuments from the Anglian
and Viking periods and contain evidence not only of burial customs and
craft skills but also of colonisation and settlement patterns. Because of
this, and due to their extreme rarity, all surviving hlaews are considered to
be of national importance.
Although the northernmost of the two hlaews at Haslin House has been partially
disturbed by excavation, the monument is reasonably intact and retains
significant archaeological remains. The southernmost hlaew is previously
unrecorded and is therefore a rare survival of an undisturbed Anglian barrow.
Archaeological remains preserving the relationship between the two barrows
survive in the area between them, which may also contain flat graves of the
same period.
Details
Haslin House is situated in the western upland ridges of the limestone plateau
of Derbyshire. The monument includes two hlaews, or Anglian barrows, located
c.10m apart above a steep north-facing slope. The northernmost of these is a
roughly circular bowl-shaped mound measuring 14m by 13m and standing 0.7m
high. This was partially excavated in 1850, by Thomas Bateman and found to be
of earthen construction and to contain a small central cairn over a rock-cut
grave in which was placed an extended inhumation which had been buried either
in a wooden coffin or surrounded by wooden planks. The southernmost hlaew has
not been excavated and is similar in appearance to the hlaew at Benty Grange.
It consists of a low central mound measuring 5m by 6m and standing c.0.3m
high, surrounded by a shallow ditch measuring 2m wide by c.0.2m deep. Around
the ditch is a low bank measuring between 1m and 1.5m wide by 0.2m high. The
overall diameter is c.12m. Both barrows date to the seventh century AD.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
13374
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
