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The Archaeology of People: Dimensions of Neolithic Life, Whittle

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<< Our Photo Pages >> Hampstead Heath Barrow - Round Barrow(s) in England in Greater London

Submitted by SolarMegalith on Friday, 22 January 2021  Page Views: 22096

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Hampstead Heath Barrow Alternative Name: Boadicea’s Tomb, Boudicca's Grave
Country: England County: Greater London Type: Round Barrow(s)
Nearest Town: London
Map Ref: TQ2738286518  Landranger Map Number: 176
Latitude: 51.563162N  Longitude: 0.163697W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
4 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5

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SolarMegalith visited on 18th Jun 2012 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4 The barrow is heavily overgrown and fenced around, but beautifully located.

Hampstead Heath Barrow
Hampstead Heath Barrow submitted by SolarMegalith : Barrow on Hampstead Heath - view from the west (photo taken on June 2012). (Vote or comment on this photo)
Round Barrow in Greater London. This significant mound known as "Boudicca's Grave" is interpreted as a Bronze Age bowl barrow. It is located near the footpath on Hampstead Heath and heavily overgrown. The area of the barrow is fenced around.

Note: Hampstead Heath’s vast and hidden history, more details in the comments on our page
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Hampstead Heath Barrow
Hampstead Heath Barrow submitted by SolarMegalith : Eastern part of the mound (photo taken on June 2012). (Vote or comment on this photo)

Hampstead Heath Barrow
Hampstead Heath Barrow submitted by SolarMegalith : A Bronze Age (?) barrow on Hampstead Heath - view from the NW (photo taken on June 2012). (Vote or comment on this photo)

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Nearby Images from Geograph Britain and Ireland:
TQ2786 : Tumulus on Hampstead Heath by Kate Jewell
by Kate Jewell
©2014(licence)
TQ2786 : Tumulus by Ian Capper
by Ian Capper
©2022(licence)
TQ2786 : Autumn Colours near Parliament Hill, Hampstead Heath by Christine Matthews
by Christine Matthews
©2017(licence)
TQ2786 : Hampstead Heath by Ian Capper
by Ian Capper
©2022(licence)
TQ2786 : Hampstead Heath by Chris Gunns
by Chris Gunns
©2009(licence)

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"Hampstead Heath Barrow" | Login/Create an Account | 6 News and Comments
  
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Re: Hampstead Heath Barrow by PastMaster on Saturday, 23 January 2021
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Despite being a Scheduled Monument, it has also been described as an 18th Century rubbish dump. Probably earlier than that though as it was mentioned by Stukely. The SM description, which describes it as a Bell Barrow, is an old one. I don't think any dating evidence exists - Bronze age date is doubtful!
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Hampstead Heath Barrow by Anonymous on Sunday, 04 September 2022
    I did some archive research on the tumulus a long time ago for my MA and am reasonably sure the tumulus is a Bronze Age bell-barrow as described in SMR.
    Having read Hercule Read’s report in a 19c society journal it is not right to say he found nothing just that he found nothing of significance to him at the time.
    Read suggested that a primary mound and ditch had been covered and redug probably as a landscape feature in the 18c.
    He found no gold or silver treasure or king buried seated on his horse. But to his evident disappointment on excavating down through the centre of the mound he found only ‘a prodigious amount of ash’.
    This probable evidence of cremation burial would now be considered highly significant and to us treasure of a sort. Read does not say if he looked for any ceramic container(s) and had he dug into the sides of the tumulus he might have found secondary internments with grave goods.
    [ Reply to This ]

Hampstead Heath’s vast and hidden history by Andy B on Friday, 22 January 2021
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Michael Hammerson from the Heath and Hampstead Society writes in The Ham and High: We all love the Heath, for its wildlife, its scenery and its peace; but equally magical, and more mysterious, is the Heath of which most visitors are unaware: the unknown Heath beneath our feet.

However the evidence shows that the Heath was occupied long ago and is the remnant of a vast historic landscape, most of which was destroyed by London’s expansion.

My own historical walks for the Heath and Hampstead Society aim to show things visitors have walked past a thousand times without even noticing, but which are fascinating clues of the Heath’s past.

The Heath has been used for many things in recent centuries; but three hundred years ago it provided London’s Water supply, it had mediaeval mills (Millfield Lane, once an important mediaeval road) and farms like Shirewic, near Athlone House. A farm is recorded in Domesday Book at Hamstede, and the land was given by the Norman Kings to Westminster Abbey; its boundaries are described in Anglo-Saxon charters; and there is evidence of occupation during the Bronze (2,500-800 BC) and Mesolithic (8,000-6,000 BC) ages.

Excavations on the West Heath by the Hendon Archaeological Society in 1976-81 found a nationally important Mesolithic site, with traces of huts and thousands of flints, while analysis of the peats in the nearby West Heath Bog yielded pollen and plant remains showing how very different the area was then.

From the Bronze Age is the famous “Tumulus”, once called “Boadicea’s Tomb” (without a shred of evidence!). An excavation was carried out here in the 1880s, but with the crude techniques of the time, nothing was found. It is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

But Bronze Age Burial mounds don’t come in isolation. There could have been others, now lost, and its presence, together with the exciting find of a Late Bronze Age feature on Parliament Hill in 2017, suggests that the two sites sat in a Bronze Age landscape, yet to be explored. No signs of Roman occupation have yet been found.

More, with photos at
https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/heritage/heath-hampstead-society-heath-history-feature-1-6921447
With thanks to Coldrum for the link.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Hampstead Heath Barrow by Anonymous on Tuesday, 13 November 2012
I worked on Hampstead Heath in 1970's. Went inside the fence a few times, officially. The barrow, or tumulus, as we called it, had been excavated a lot earlier and the excavation trench could still be seen. The trees were not deliberately planted. There is a society for the heath. That was quite emphatic about leaving everything untouched. Of course, there would be the druidic solstice celebrations there. Although one would suspect, it was built much earlier than druids? Placed on the hill known as "Parliament Hill", these days. A fantastic view over the city. The heath came into being as it was common ground, from middle ages and sheep were grazed on it. Driven down from up north for the winter graze; up until after WW2. Which accounted for the lack of trees on the space. Now I'm living in Canada and those days spent working as an assistant gardener, on Parliament Hill Fields, were some of my happiest.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Hampstead Heath Barrow by Anonymous on Monday, 26 February 2007
Think its Bronze Age. Some stupid person has decided to plant trees on it to make it a "feature in the landscape" without a thought for the archaeology they are destroying under the ground with the tree roots!
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Hampstead Heath Barrow by Anonymous on Sunday, 04 September 2022
    This stupid person is probably long gone.
    It was the 18 & 19c fashion to landmark tumuli with fir trees or yews as picnic spots and sites of curious interest.
    How ancient monuments were used and understood by successive generations is surely part of their continuing story?
    [ Reply to This ]

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