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 is situated approximately 12m north west of Rushall Hall on the
north east outskirts of Walsall and includes a hlaew or burial mound with an
encircling ditch. The earthen mound stands to a maximum height of 2.2m and is
11m in diameter. Although no longer visible at ground level, a ditch, from
which material was quarried during the construction of the monument, surrounds
the mound. This has become infilled over the years but survives as a buried
feature, approximately 3m wide. Limited antiquarian investigation at the
hlaew's centre located fragments of human bone and a number of Saxon coins.
Partial excavation of the mound in c.1955 recovered a bone fragment and an
18th century clay pipe.
The fence posts on the north side of the monument are excluded from the
scheduling, but the ground beneath is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
21570
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
