| Summary : Earthwork remains of a Neolithic long barrow. The earliest recorded excavation was by Heneage Finch in 1702. He found a few bones, but was unable to identify any as human. The site was visited and sketched by William Stukeley during the 1720s, and a pot containing a Roman coin hoard, possibly late 4th century in date, was found while digging for a fence in the early 19th century. However, although attracting much subsequent comment, it was not excavated again until 1936-7, when R Jessup demonstrated that the monument was definitely a Neolithic long barrow. Finds included a broken polished flint axe from the mound. Animal bones and flint flakes, a scraper and cores were also recovered from the barrow. Iron Age and Roman pottery came from the upper levels of the ditch, while some possible Neolithic sherds came from lower down in the ditch fill. Romano-British activity was represented by animal remains, coins, pottery and six burials, four of which were excavated. Three were inhumations, while the fourth was a cremation. Items accompanying the burials included a bronze bracelet, a bronze brooch and pottery vessels. The history of investigation of the barrow has been summarized by Ashbee (1997). Ordnance Survey field investigation (in 1963) described the barrow as being in excellent condition. It has been truncated a little by chalk quarrying and ploughing, but survives to a length of circa 44 metres. Its maximum width is circa 15 metres, tapering to less than two metres at its southern end. Its maximum height is about 2 metres. No ditch is visible any longer for much of the mound's circuit, but it can be traced around the barrow's destroyed northern end. Scheduled. |
More information : [TR 07745324] Julliberrie's Grave, Long Barrow [NR] (1)
A Wessex-type Long Barrow (4) excavated by Jessup in 1936 and 1937. The name is traditional from at least the early C18th when it was noted by Camden (2-3). Scheduled (5). During the 1937 excavation, four Roman burials (both inhumation and cremation) were found in the southern part of the ditch, also eight late C4th Roman coins. These last may have dropped from a pot containing a hoard of Constantinian coins, which was found in one of the post-holes for the fence surrounding the monument in the early C19th. (2-5)
In excellent condition. Resurveyed at 1:2500. (6)
Julliberrie's Grave, the remains of the earthen long barrow are now 48ft wide tappering by 6ft to its southern end. The present length is 144ft and the maximum height 7ft. No ditch is now visible but it can be traced round the barrow's destroyed northern end. (7)
There are traces of two previous excavations, one in 1701 (8) or 1702 (9) by Lord Weymouth and Heneage Finch, and the other probably dug by one of the Wildman family, owners of the Chilham Castle estate between 1792 and 1861. (8-9)
Additional bibliography. (10-15)
Jessup began his excavation at Julliberrie's Grave in July 1936 (see authority 2) inspired by the account of a fictional excavation of the site by Mr Elmhurst in R Austin Freeman's novel "The Penros Mystery", published in 1936. Jessup had supplied technical advice and information for the novel. (16) |