Anglo-Saxon burial mound 450m north west of University Farm

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 Anglo-Saxon burial mound 450m north west of University Farm is one of a small group of prominent Saxon burial mounds within the Cotswolds. It it not believed to have been excavated and will therefore contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction and the landscape in which it was built. It is a prominent landscape feature on a public footpath.

Details

The monument includes an Anglo-Saxon hlaew or burial mound, situated 450m north west of University Farm, west of the village of Lew. The barrow lies on a small round hill and is visible from all directions. The mound measures 30m in diameter and stands up to 2.8m high. It is constructed of stone, collected from the local area, and turf. Its profile is now slightly irregular due to limited disturbance by burrowing animals and natural erosion over time. There is no evidence of a ditch around the mound itself; this is a common feature of hlaews in the county. The 1830 edition of the Ordnance Survey map shows that the small ditched enclosure in which the barrow stands was then known as Barrow Grove.

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:

28150

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:10000 Series Source Date: 1980 Author: Publisher: Surveyor: SP 30 NW
PRN 2577, C.A.O., LEW MOUND, (1993)

End of official list entry

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