Squire's Clump Anglo-Saxon burial mound 500m south west of Iron Buildings

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.

The hlaew known as Squire's Clump survives well despite having been subjected to minor landscaping during the 18th century and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction and the landscape in which it was built. It is one of a number of such monuments in West Oxfordshire which are known to have formed the focus for burial sites in the early medieval period.

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.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

21839

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:10000 Series Source Date: 1980 Author: Publisher: Surveyor: SP 22 SE
SP 22 SE 6, R.C.H.M.(E), Bowl Barrow, (1977)
PRN 2282, C.A.O., Round Barrow, (1986)

End of official list entry

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