Reasons for Designation
A hlaew is a burial monument of Anglo-Saxon or Viking date and comprising a
hemispherical mound of earth and redeposited bedrock constructed over a
primary burial or burials. These were usually inhumations, buried in a grave
cut into the subsoil beneath the mound, but cremations placed on the old
ground surface beneath the mound have also been found. Hlaews may occur
in pairs or in small groups; a few have accompanying flat graves. Constructed
during the pagan Saxon and Viking periods for individuals of high rank, they
served as visible and ostentatious markers of their social position. Some
were associated with territorial claims and appear to have been specifically
located to mark boundaries. They often contain objects which give information
on the range of technological skill and trading contacts of the period. Only
between 50 and 60 hlaews have been positively identified in England. As a
rare monument class all positively identified examples are considered worthy
of preservation.
Details
The monument includes an Anglo-Saxon burial mound, or `hlaew', situated
in Squire's Clump, 500m south west of Iron Buildings. The barrow lies on a
false crest overlooking the land to the south, east and west, including the
present village of Sarsden.
The barrow mound measures 23m in diameter and stands up to 3m high. It has a
flat top with an otherwise conical profile. The mound is surrounded by a dry
stone revetment wall which sits on a narrow 0.5m wide berm. This is surrounded
by a quarry ditch from which material was obtained during the construction of
the mound. This has been redug and survives as a 4m wide and 0.8m deep
feature.
The Squire's Clump barrow was used as a landscape feature during the 18th
century when beech trees were planted around it and the wall was rebuilt. The
name Squire's Clump can also be attributed to this phase in the monument's
history.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
21839
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Other
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
