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, known as a hlaew, situated
south east of Oxford Lodge, immediately east of the A43(T) road.
Despite the west quadrant of the barrow having been removed to bedrock by
excavation prior to road widening in 1974, the barrow mound survives as a
clearly visible earthwork measuring up to 20m in diameter (north to south) and
standing up to c.2m high. The barrow mound originally stood c.2.5m high but
has been partly landscaped on the west side to improve road visibility. There
was no indication that it ever had a quarry ditch.
Excluded from the scheduled area is the boundary fence between the road
carriageway and the field in which the barrow lies, although the ground
beneath is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
28165
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
