<< Our Photo Pages >> Sil Howe - Round Barrow(s) in England in Yorkshire (North)
Submitted by johndhunter on Sunday, 17 July 2022 Page Views: 717
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Sil HoweCountry: England County: Yorkshire (North) Type: Round Barrow(s)
Nearest Town: Whitby Nearest Village: Goathland
Map Ref: NZ8519002830
Latitude: 54.413795N Longitude: 0.688829W
Condition:
| 5 | Perfect |
| 4 | Almost Perfect |
| 3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
| 2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
| 1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
| 0 | No data. |
| -1 | Completely destroyed |
| 5 | Superb |
| 4 | Good |
| 3 | Ordinary |
| 2 | Not Good |
| 1 | Awful |
| 0 | No data. |
| 5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
| 4 | Short walk on a footpath |
| 3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
| 2 | A long walk |
| 1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
| 0 | No data. |
| 5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
| 4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
| 3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
| 2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
| 1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
| 0 | no data |
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An early bronze age round barrow now destroyed, it once stood on the Whinstone Ridge. Located to the east of a junction of roads/tracks to Goathland, Beck Hole, Sleights and May Beck. Road widening, car park construction, quarrying will all have had an effect on its demise.
Sil Howe is ‘HERR’ MONUMENT 29312 which tells us that it was 34 yards in circumference, a little over 4ft in height and was the site of a mediaeval boundary cross, though this was removed prior to 1817. Not mentioned in the record but a large rim fragment of a collared urn was removed from the barrow prior to 1817 and ended up in the Whitby museum. An article in the Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, 1989 describes this and can be viewed HERE. (When the page opens just scroll down to read the article you do not need to download it)
Anomalies, Observations and lots of Confusion:
It is important to note that Sil Howe itself is shown on all historical OS maps as being to the east of the Sleights/ Goathland road, see my uploaded sketch map. Another tumulus (RB1 for reference) is shown on the western side of the road on both the 1854 OS MAP and 1895 OS map, it should also be noticed that on both these maps it is shown to the south of the old track/ road to Beck Hole which runs to the north of the quarries. Later OS maps starting from the 1916 OS MAP still show the tumulus as being to the south of the new route to Beck Hole even though the new road itself has now moved to the SOUTH of the quarries. Digital mapping from the later historical OS maps puts this Tumulus (RB1) at NZ 85168 02834, there is no mound at this location, only road signs. Though to add to the confusion there is a low mound (quarry spoil?) just 13m to the south at NZ 85169 02821.
Historic England LIST ENTRY 1021299 describes a barrow which is sited to the west of the Sleights / Goathland road and to the NORTH of the new Beck Hole road though their grid reference given NZ 85160 02848 is I believe not wholly accurate, my gps puts it at NZ 85150 01861.
This is a fair sized barrow and stands out quite clearly being some 13m in diameter and 1.2m in height. However its location is further to the north than all historical OS maps put it where it is either level or to the south of Sil Howe itself.
Regardless, what the barrow is not and that is Sil Howe itself as shown on historical OS maps, which is destroyed, nor does the list entry indicate that it is. However various websites name this barrow as Sil Howe, I believe they are mistaken (or maybe not*). The error probably occurs due to the fact between 1952 and 1962 Lilla Cross was removed from Lilla Howe to protect it from being destroyed on army firing ranges and relocated to Sil Howe. Many documents indicate this, however my view is that they are referring to the area rather than Sil Howe itself which was already probably no longer extant by this time. The cross was in fact erected on this barrow ‘at’ Sil Howe rather than ‘on’ Sil Howe and as a consequence this barrow is now being mistaken for Sil Howe.
The problem is probably exacerbated due to a photograph (plate 12) in Raymond Hayes 1988 book - 'Old Roads and Pannierways in North East Yorkshire' with the caption ‘Lilla Cross on Sil Howe’ when in fact it is on this barrow ‘at’ Sil Howe rather than ‘on’.
As regards the photo because it was taken close to and from behind the cross you can’t see the tumulus itself, however by looking at the skyline in the distance this indicates that it is on the barrow (RB1) to the west of the Sleights / Goathland road and not Sil Howe itself. The list entry also states that the cross was erected on this barrow which it does not name as Sil Howe.
To summarise: Sil Howe itself as indicated by historical OS maps at NZ 85190 02830 on the east side of the Sleights / Goathland road is destroyed and is no longer extant. Historic England state that there is another extant barrow (RB1), 13m in diameter and 1.2m high on the west side of the road at NZ 85160 02848 (my gps NZ 85150 02861).
* To really confuse everything - Knox’s 1821 map, see HERE (Zoom in to the top left when the map opens) shows two tumulus at this location in the same orientation as shown on my uploaded sketch map and names them Silhoues, in other words plural, unlike nearby singular barrows such as Breckon Houe , Robed Houe etc. So it is conceivable that prior to OS mapping both these barrows were known as the Sil Howes.
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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
605m NNE 19° Breckon Howe (Sleights Moor)* Round Barrow(s) (NZ8537603406)
915m ESE 119° Flass Brow Round Barrow* Round Barrow(s) (NZ860024)
997m NNE 28° Pen Howe (Sleights Moor)* Round Barrow(s) (NZ8563903722)
1.0km E 98° Flass Brow Marker Stones* Marker Stone (NZ8620802708)
1.4km WNW 297° Stony Rigg RB1 (Goathland Moor)* Round Barrow(s) (NZ8395703441)
1.8km N 11° Flat Howe (Sleights Moor)* Round Barrow(s) (NZ85510461)
1.8km N 355° High Bridestones (Yorks)* Stone Circle (NZ8499704629)
1.8km ENE 68° Greenland's Howe (Sleights Moor)* Cist (NZ8688103552)
1.9km ESE 119° Robbed Howe* Round Barrow(s) (NZ8685001958)
2.0km W 271° Allan Tofts 9* Rock Art (NZ8316902842)
2.1km NNW 343° Low Bridestones (Yorks)* Stone Row / Alignment (NZ8454104859)
2.2km W 277° Allan Tofts 2d* Rock Art (NZ8303503047)
2.2km W 277° Allan Tofts 2c* Rock Art (NZ8300503059)
2.2km W 278° Allan Tofts 2b* Rock Art (NZ8300503083)
2.2km W 276° Allan Tofts 2e* Rock Art (NZ8298903016)
2.2km W 269° Allan Tofts 7* Rock Art (NZ8294502747)
2.2km W 276° Allan Tofts 2g* Rock Art (NZ8294903016)
2.4km W 273° Allan Tofts 4b* Rock Art (NZ8283002928)
2.5km W 271° Allan Tofts 5c* Rock Art (NZ8265502816)
2.7km W 261° Pennock Puzzle Stone* Carving (NZ8252902337)
2.9km SE 130° Foster Howes* Round Barrow(s) (NZ8744800991)
3.0km ESE 117° York Cross (Sneaton High Moor)* Ancient Cross (NZ8785901524)
3.7km SE 137° Ann's Cross* Ancient Cross (NZ8777400168)
4.0km SW 235° Hunt House Road Standing Stone* Marker Stone (NZ8192900430)
4.3km SW 219° Two Howes Rigg* Round Barrow(s) (SE8252899444)
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