Hlaew 12m north west of Rushall Hall

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.

Despite limited antiquarian and mid-20th century investigations at the centre of the mound, the hlaew 12m north west of Rushall Hall survives well. These investigations located human remains, and further evidence of internments and grave goods will exist within the burial mound providing information on the burial customs of the period.

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.

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:

21570

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Wilmore, FW, Records of Rushall, (1892), 6

End of official list entry

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