Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Selattyn Tower
Hob Uid: 66097
Location : Shropshire Selattyn and Gobowen
Grid Ref : SJ2559034160
Summary : A probable Early Bronze Age ring cairn containing the remains of a belvedere, Selattyn Tower, built in 1847. The cairn is circa 22 metres in diameter, comprising an unrevetted stony bank 3 metres wide and up to 0.8 metres high, enclosing a circular area 16 metres in diameter. Small scale excavation in 1998 recovered some sherds of Early Bronze Age pottery and fragments of cremated bone from the central area. During construction of the belvedere in 1847, 12 urns containing cremations were found. Selattyn Tower was built to commemorate the death of Prince Gwen, a 6th century prince who according to legend was killed in the vicinity during a battle between the British and the Saxons. The tower is square, 3.8 metres across (2.8 metres internally). In 1999, prior to some partial rebuilding, it stood 3.5 metres high, though originally it was much higher. Surviving features include a doorway in the northwestern wall, a window opening in the opposite southeastern wall, and a fire place with chimney stack in the southwestern wall. During the 2nd world war, the tower was used by the Home Guard as an observation post. Both cairn and tower are scheduled.
More information : (SJ 25593416) Carn (NR). (1) (SJ 25593416) Selattyn Tower. Cinerary Urn found AD 1847 (NAT). (2) Selattyn Tower built on the site of a carn? Possibly that which contained twelve urns?. (The description of a cairn standing "on an eminence of Selattyn mountain", in which twelve cinerary urns were found, could well identify it with the cairn beneath Selattyn Tower). (3,4) The shell of Selattyn Tower, a 19th century belvedere, stands within a probable cairn rim some 3.0m. wide, 0.5m. high and 20.0m. in diameter; the south-east side of which is mutilated. The interior of the rim is littered with stone debris. Any urns found here are now lost (a). See GP. Surveyed at 1:2500. (5) This location falls within the area mapped from aerial photographs by RCHME's Marches Uplands Mapping Project. The cairn and tower were not recorded by that survey, posssible due to obscuring tree cover on the available photographs. (7)

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Source Number : 1
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Source details : OS 6" 1837
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Source Number : 2
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Source details : OS 6" 1954
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Source Number : 3
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Source details : Corr 6" (L F Chitty 1940)
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Source Number : 4
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Vol(s) : 2, 1851

Source Number : 4a
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Source details : (W Wynne Ffoulkes)
Page(s) : 11-Dec
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Source Number : 5
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Source details : F1 DRB 19-JUN-72
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Source Number : 5b
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Source details : Inf Mr James, Curator Clive House Museum Shrewsbury
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Source Number : 6
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Source details : English Heritage Schedule Entry 03-JUL-2000
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Source Number : 7
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Source details : RCHME: Marches Uplands Mapping Project
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Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Early Bronze Age
Display Date : Early Bronze Age
Monument End Date : -1600
Monument Start Date : -2600
Monument Type : Ring Cairn
Evidence : Earthwork

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : Built 1847
Monument End Date : 1847
Monument Start Date : 1847
Monument Type : Belvedere
Evidence : Extant Building

Monument Period Name : 20th Century
Display Date : World War 2
Monument End Date : 1945
Monument Start Date : 1939
Monument Type : Observation Post
Evidence : Documentary Evidence

Components and Objects:

Period : Early Bronze Age
Component Monument Type : Ring Cairn
Object Type : VESSEL, CREMATION
Object Material : Pottery

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (National No.)
External Cross Reference Number : 32314
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : SJ 23 SE 1
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Related Activities :

Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1972-06-19
End Date : 1972-06-19

Associated Activities :
Activity type : AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH INTERPRETATION
Start Date : 1993-01-01
End Date : 1994-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EVALUATION
Start Date : 1998-01-01
End Date : 1998-12-31

Historic England Research Records

Selattyn Tower