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Monument record MDR4378 - Swarkestone Lowes Barrow Cemetery and Field System

Type and Period (4)

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Full Description

The complex occupies a hog-backed ridge of gravel to the south of Derby overlooking the River Trent to the south and Sinfin Moor to the north. (23) Swarkestone Lowes round barrow cemetery consists of four ploughed down barrows, three of which have double ring ditches (Nos 1, 3 and 4, SMR 27001, SMR 27004, SMR 27005) and the fourth (No.2, SMR 27002) with single ditch, as shown on St. Joseph air photographs (4) A further two mounds have been revealed by a detailed contour survey of the field. The site has been scheduled (10, 15) Excavations have been carried out at two of the barrows:- Barrow 2 (SK 36632946) was excavated in 1955 and found to be a bell barrow of Middle Bronze Age date with secondary pagan Anglo-Saxon inhumations (see SMR 27002). Barrow 4 (SK 36852947) was excavated in 1956. This was a primary barrow of Early Bronze Age date, superimposed upon which was a secondary bell barrow of Middle Bronze Age date (see SMR 27005). An occupation level of the Beaker period was sealed by Barrow 4 (see SMR 27006). Further features have been identified from aerial photographs and from excavation. A curving linear ditched feature and a double row of pit alignments were visible north and east of the barrows on photographs taken by St. Joseph (4) and by Pickering (5). Partial excavation of the ditched feature revealed a V-shaped profile, 14ft wide and 6ft deep containing flint flakes and worn sherd of "prehistoric type". Plans 1, 2 (2) 3 and 4 (3). (2-6) Probable cropmark pit alignment of Iron Age date seen as an interrupted single linear feature defined by 2 lines of pits, with a maximum length of 400m. Mapped using good quality aerial photographs. Centred at SK 3674 2965. Additional NGR's: SK 3693 2954 and SK 3658 2969. (14) Probable cropmark boundary ditch of Iron Age date seen as perpendicular linear features each defined by 1 ditch, with a maximum length of 250m. Mapped using good quality aerial photographs. Centred at SK 3660 2954. (14) Cropmark boundary ditch of Iron Age date seen as an interrupted single linear feature defined by 1 ditch, with a maximum length of 500m. The site was mapped from good quality AP's supplemented by information derived from small scale excavation. (13) Centred at SK 3687 2956. Additional NGR's: SK 3657 2965 and SK 3686 2937. (14) Cropmark linear feature defined by 2 ditches, with a maximum length of 340m. Date unknown. Mapped using good quality aerial photographs. Centred at SK 3666 2952. (16) Cropmark linear feature of unknown date defined by 1 ditch, with a maximum length of 80m. Mapped using good quality aerial photographs. Centred at SK 3660 2967. Additional NGRs: SK 3695 2957. (17) Cropmarks plotted on map overlay at 1:10,000. (18) A large sub-rectangular enclosure, of which three sides are known, appears to enclose some of the Swarkestone barrows. It was excavated by TPAT ahead of the proposed Stoke-Derby link road This revealed a V-shaped ditch up to 1.5m deep and 3.5m wide. (19) An excavation trench 3m wide was put through the scheduled area in 1994 prior to the construction of a pipeline. To the north of Barrow 1, a long curving gulley, containing substantial quantities of Iron Age pottery, was excavated, together with a number of pits and the butt end of a substantial ditch. Together these features may indicate a focus of Iron Age settlement. Excavation continuing eastwards uncovered further evidence for Iron Age activity in the form of a number of postholes and pits containing Iron Age pottery in their fill. The trench crossed several of the north-south linear cropmarks known from aerial photographs. Excavation showed one to be a substantial v-profile ditch, the fill of which produced a substantial quantity of Iron Age pottery. In general, evidence for Iron Age occupation was found to be more widspread than was formerly thought and it was suggested that the pattern of linear cropmarks corssing the area may represent the marking out of a rectilinear field system. (20) A second phase of more extensive excavation was carried out later in 1994. A numer of trenches were excavated, producing material which ranged from two quartzite cobbles of possible Middle Palaeolithic date to post-medieval pottery. In particular, the excavations identified a locally rare Early Mesolithic industry, characterised by the knapping of large blades and by a restricted tool kit, a significant quantity of debitage and a range of tools of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age date and a variety of Iron Age and Romano-British features. One of the most remarkable of the latter was a curvilinear boundary ditch which runs west-east along the crest of the ridge and then southwards across the tip, presumably sub-dividing the area in some way. A further possible Iron Age ditched enclosure was identified, as were a variety of other linear ditches and gullies, none correlating with known cropmarks. A total of thirteen approximately evenly spaced pits was recorded in one trench. (21) Excavations in advance of the proposed Derby-Southern Bypass, in early 1993, revealed several archaeological features. A trench located ot the east of Lowes Lane, north-east of The Lowes Farm, revealed two north-south aligned gullies. Both gullies were aligned parallel with Medieval ridge and furrow, but were too widely spaced to be ridge and furrow themselves. However, their alignment suggests they are contemporary with the ridge and furrow. The gullies could represent the edge of a Medieval furlong, or a baulk providing access to the fields, defining an unploughed area. Other features included a narrow gulley and a number of post holes, they produced no dating evidence, however they are similar to other excavated features of Post-Medieval date. In conclusion, the excavated features were all quite shallow and may have suffered considerable truncation by modern ploughing (ie in excess of 0.3m). (22)

Sources/Archives (24)

  • <1> Map: Ordnance Survey (OS). 1955. 6".
  • <2> Article in serial: Posnansky, M. 1955. 'The Bronze Age round barrow at Swarkestone, part 1, the excavation and finds', Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. Volume 75, pp 123-139. p123-39.
  • <3> Article in serial: Greenfield, E. 1960. 'The Excavation of Barrow 4 at Swarkestone', Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. Volume 80.
  • <4> Aerial Photograph: APs (J K St Joseph YU 74 - 75 undated).
  • <5a> Aerial Photograph: APs (J Pickering Film 39/3 3a 4 4a 5 5a 6 6a).
  • <5> Article in serial: Mann, B. 1974. *East Midland Archaeology Bulletin 10 1974 9. Volume 10, No. 9.
  • <6> Bibliographic reference: Meaney, A. 1964. A Gazetteer of Early Anglo-Saxon Burial Sites. p78.
  • <7> Bibliographic reference: F1 BHS 27-JUN-66.
  • <8> Bibliographic reference: Marsden, B. 1977. The Burial Mounds of Derbyshire. p94, 103.
  • <9> Aerial Photograph: 1967. APs (OS 67/012/176-177 21.3.67).
  • <10> Scheduling record: DOE (IAM) AMs Eng 3 1978 25.
  • <11> Bibliographic reference: Gibson, A. Beaker Domestic Pottery.
  • <12> Index: RCHME. 1995. New National Forest Survey: 313008. 313008. p882-6.
  • <13> Article in serial: Losco-Bradley, S (TPAT). 1993. 'Excavations on an Iron-Age cropmark at Swarkestone Lowes, Derbyshire 1983', Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. Volume 113, pp 5-15.
  • <14> Index: RCHME. 1995. New National Forest Project: 931713. 931713. p1055-6.
  • <15> Scheduling record: English Heritage. 2001. Scheduling Notification: Swarkestone Lows Round Barrow Cemetery. 29971. Cat. No.: 41.
  • <16> Index: RCHME. 1995. New National Forest Project: 931715. 931715.
  • <17> Index: RCHME. 1995. New National Forest Project: 931716. 931716.
  • <18> Archive: Whiteley, S. 1989. Aerial Photographic Transcripton Project.
  • <19> Index: TPAT. 2082. 2082.
  • <20> Unpublished document: Challis, K & Elliott, L. 1994. Swarkestone Lowes, Derbyshire. Excavation in Advance of British Gas Pipeline Construction..
  • <21> Article in serial: Elliott, L & Knight, D (TPAT). 1999. 'An Early Mesolithic site and 1st millennium BC settlement and pit alignments at Swarkestone Lowes', Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. Volume 119, pp 79-153.
  • <22> Unpublished document: Walker, J. 1993. Derby Southern Bypass Archaeological Evaluations. Report on Site Investigations.. pp. 11-16. Fig. 1..
  • <23> Unpublished document: Trent & Peak Archaeological Trust (TPAT). 1992. Archaeology of the Derby Southern Bypass, Implication of the Construction of the Bypass Between Hilton and the M1.. pp 42-46.

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Grid reference Centred SK 36712 29511 (779m by 819m) (Approximate)
Civil Parish SWARKESTONE, SOUTH DERBYSHIRE, DERBYSHIRE

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (6)

  • EDR1723
  • EDR1714
  • EDR1660
  • EDR1664
  • EDR1665
  • EDR1437

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Record last edited

Jan 31 2018 3:16PM

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