<< Text Pages >> Earl Shilton Bypass - Round Barrow(s) in England in Leicestershire and Rutland
Submitted by Andy B on Friday, 07 March 2008 Page Views: 9365
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Earl Shilton BypassCountry: England
NOTE: This site is 0.879 km away from the location you searched for.
County: Leicestershire and Rutland Type: Round Barrow(s)
Nearest Town: Leicester Nearest Village: Earl Shilton
Map Ref: SP483978
Latitude: 52.575880N Longitude: 1.288703W
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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External Links:
Round Barrows in Leicestershire and Rutland. Ancient Tombs add to Road Toll. Archaeologists have unearthed an ancient burial ground at the site of a major new road. Evidence of two Bronze Age tombs dating back some 4,000 years were found during work on the Earl Shilton bypass.
They were spotted after an archaeological survey of the site uncovered what would have been mounds of earth, or barrows, on the route between Thurlaston Lane and Mill Lane outside the town.
Experts said the discovery was "significant" and may help to improve understanding of the county's early inhabitants.
However, the work on the find has added about £150,000 to the cost of the bypass, which was originally supposed to cost £15 million and due to finish by the end of this year.
Richard Clark, senior planning archaeologist for the county council, said the discovery of the tombs had not delayed work on the bypass.
Mr Clark said the tombs would have been created for people of "significant status".
He said: "The land above the site had been ploughed flat over the years and so there was no visible evidence of the barrows before our survey of the site.
"They would have been an obvious feature of the landscape in the subsequent 1,000 years after they were built.
"Land boundaries from that time are focused on the site so this would have been a focal point for people for a long time.
"It's a significant find and it's of great local and regional significance."
The £150,000 has paid for the archaeological investigation of the tombs required under planning guidelines, which included a team of experts carefully excavating the site last autumn.
The findings, which also included evidence of human bones and pottery making, are still being studied by University of Leicester experts.
The costs of the road - commissioned by Leicestershire County Council - have been rising and have already faced criticism.
Evidence of as few as one great-crested newt has been found on land next to the road and the council told the Leicester Mercury last week this could delay the project by three months - and add £1.7 million to the bill.
Today, they said that figure had been revised and was now closer to £1.2 million.
However, the finding of the tombs and other unexpected costs of £350,000, along with the delay from the newts, could still add up to an extra £1.7 million in costs.
Earl Shilton councillor Denis Bown, who has previously criticised the high cost of protecting newts at the site, said the cost of the excavation could not be justified.
He said: "It's all out of perspective.
"These newts have been a laughing stock and now this will be as well.
"If the bypass hadn't been going ahead, these tombs wouldn't have been found in the first place. It wouldn't have been a great loss.
"It's a mystery how all these obstacles, expensive obstacles, keep cropping up. The money involved is incredible."
A progress report on the bypass has revealed rising land costs may add £350,000 to the bill, because land purchase negotiations are still ongoing.
Source: This is Leicestershire
IMPORTANT NOTE: Location given is an estimate from the information in the news story. If you know an accurate grid ref please let us know.
Note: Update from the University of Leicestershire, see comment
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