| Summary : A Bronze Age round barrow situated in a prominent hilltop position above the cliffs at Port Mulgrave. The barrow has an earth and stone mound standing up to 4 metres high. It has a maximum diameter of 15 metres, although this has been reduced east-west by ploughing. The barrow was partially excavated in 1920. As well as seven cremation burials, about 300 worked stones were recovered from the matrix of the mound, many of them decorated with cup marks. The mound is disturbed on the north west side by the infilling of the past excavations, and in the centre by two sub-rectangular hollows caused by the removal of a small building. The barrow was originally one of three, two of which have been destroyed by ploughing. Place name evidence indicates that the barrow was reused as a beacon in the medieval or early post-medieval periods. Scheduled. The round barrow is visible as an earthwork on air photographs. |
More information : [NZ 79331780] Hinderwell Beacon [GT] (site of) (1)
Hinderwell Beacon, a large barrow, was excavated c.1920 and found to
contain 7 cremation burials, a cinerary urn, and three food vessels.
Slightly N.E. of the Beacon was a ploughed down barrow, 25ft. in
diameter and containing a food vessel, and slightly S.W. of the
Beacon were less apparent signs of another barrow. (2)
A mound at the published site of Hinderwell Beacon (evidently the
'large Barrow' described above has been practically destroyed by the
insertion of a small building, and does not merit re-survey.
There are no visible remains of the other two barrows. (3)
NZ 7933 1780. NYM 51 in corpus. Hinderwell Beacon round barrow
excavated by W Hornsby and J D Laverick between 1915 and 1919.
Within the barrow was a circle of large stones enclosing 7 cremated
deposits:
i) A cut 1'6" deep associated with part of a Food Vessel (Type 2).
ii) An urn containing a cremation was placed on a sandstone slab and
associated with a Food Vessel.
iii) Enclosed by 4 stones, above was a Food Vessel (Type 3).
iv) & v) 2 burials a few inches apart accompanied by many sherds.
vi) On the old land surface.
vii) 2.5ft below the surface of the mound.
The barrow produced little flint but nearly 300 stones with cup
marks, linear decoration and evidence of use as grinding or polishing
stones or as net sinkers. A building occupying the centre of this
tumulus has been removed, leaving a gap on the NW side.
NZ 7934 1781. NYM 52 in corpus. NE of Hinderwell Beacon. A barrow
25ft in diameter, much ploughed down before excavation between 1915
and 1919. Three feet E of the centre was a grave containing only
stones and sand. Near the surface were parts of a Food Vessel and
a cupstone. Survives as low rise only. (4)
The Bronze Age round barrow, described by the above authorities, is visible as an earthwork on air photographs, centred at NZ 7932 1781.
(6)
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