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ADAMS GRAVE

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Neolithic long barrow, identified with the "Wodnesborge" of a charter of 825 AD. Listed by Grinsell as Alton 14. The mound was excavated by Thurnam in 1860. He found traces of primary interments plus a leaf arrowhead. The barrow mound survives as an earthwork 65 metres long and 28 metres wide at its south eastern end, narrowing to 16 metres at its north western end. It stands up to 6.5 metres high, and is flanked by side ditches up to 1.5 metres deep. A later mound has been constructed over the southern end of each of the side ditches. Both are suggested to be pillow mounds. A square enclosure, with sides 18 metres long, partly overlies the south east end of the barrow.

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(SU 11236339) Adam's Grave (NAT)
Long Barrow (NR) (1)

Adam's Grave - Long barrow - is to be identified with 'Wodnesbeorge' of the Saxon Charter's of 825 AD.
Alton 14; Length 200 ft. width 100 ft. height 20 ft. orientated NW/SE. Wedge-shaped. Side ditches 20 ft wide, 3 ft deep. Part of sarsen chamber exposed at SE, and original retaining wall of alternate sarsens and oolite dry-walling (now obscured). Excavated by Thurnam who found traces of primary skeletons and leaf arrowhead. (2)

SU 11236339; Adam's grave long barrow 65 m long and 28 m wide in the SE tapering to 16m in the NW, is ridge backed and rises to 6.5m in height above 1.5m deep side ditches.

In the SE end of each of the side ditches a subsequent mound has been constructed. That in the NE is 16m long, 6m wide and up to 1.4m high above the ditch. That in the SW is 12m long, 6m wide and up to 1.6m high above the ditch. It has been constructed upon part of the weak bank of a rectangular enclosure 34m long and 8m wide lying along the ditch. Overlying the SE end of the long barrow is a square enclosure of side 18m. orientated NE-SW. It is badly mutilated by flint digging but comprises a bank an average 0.3m high with a shallow outer ditch. It is not possible to ascertain the periods of construction of the various additions to the long barrow purely by field investigation but both mounds within the ditch may well be pillow mounds. Resurveyed at 1:2500. (3)

The Neolithic long barrow, the possible Medieval pillow mounds and the enclosures of unknown, date described by the previous authorities, have been mapped from aerial photographs. (4)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1961

( 2) edited by R B Pugh and Elizabeth Crittall 1957 A history of Wiltshire: volume 1, part 1

The Victoria history of the counties of England L Grinsell: Archaeological Gazetteer Page(s)137

( 3) Field Investigators Comments

F1 MHB 18-JUL-74

(4) Oblique aerial photograph reference number

NMR SU1163/3 (ACA 7118/1281) 16-APR-1933

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Description

BATTLE OF WODENS BARROW AD 592
ALTON

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The site of the Battle of Woden's Barrow, which is also known as the Battle of Wodnesbeorh and the Battle of Adam's Grave, is located in Alton in Wilt...

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