More information : ST 95552416 (1) A disc barrow was identified on
Gallow's Hill Alvediston, By Clay, and comprised a mound 18 feet
in diameter and 3 feet high with an external bank 1 foot high
and outer ditch 15 inches deep (2) Grinsell describes it as a
bowl barrow surrounded by a tree ring (1) Excavation by Clay
about 1924-5, showed that the mound had been disturbed by man and
rabbits. A few pieces of burnt bone and possibly Bronze Age
sherds were found with many recent glass and pottery fragments.
An ill-defined cist was found at the centre of the mound. The
most northerly of the Scotts pines growing in the ditch was
probably used as the gallows which gave the site its name.
It has footholds cut in it and marks of chains or ropes. About
1875 a skeleton was found in making a dew-pond to the south of the
trees and was probably the burial of an executed criminal. (1-2)
ST 95532417 - The mound is 5.8m in diameter and 0.6m high and is
surrounded by an outer ditch, 17.5m diameter and 0.1 to 0.3m
deep, with vague indications of a bank on the inside. It is
under grass with no evidence now of excavation. The finds made
when it was excavated and its present appearance are consistent
with it being abowl barrow enclosed by a tree-ring. No further
information on the gallows was obtained but one of the trees has
indentations visible upon it. (3)
As described by F1, the outer ditch to the mound has been
destroyed by ploughing on the west side and the rest of the work
overgrown by rough grass and scrub. A tree stump at ST 9554 2419
on the N side of the mound could be the site of the gallows.
Barrow surveyed at 1:2500. (4)
Surveyed at ST 9554 2411 on MSD. (5)
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