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Summary - not yet available

Monument Type(s):

• ROUND BARROW (Bronze Age - 2500 BC? to 701 BC?)
• CROUCHED INHUMATION (Bronze Age - 2500 BC? to 701 BC?) + Sci.Date
• CREMATION (Bronze Age - 2500 BC? to 701 BC?)

Associated Finds:

• ANIMAL REMAINS (Bronze Age - 2500 BC? to 701 BC?)
• BEAD (Bronze Age - 2500 BC? to 701 BC?)
• BEAKER (Bronze Age - 2500 BC? to 701 BC?)
• LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Bronze Age - 2500 BC? to 701 BC?)
• SHERD (Bronze Age - 2500 BC? to 701 BC?)

Associated Events:

• Excavations at Waterhall Farm barrow cemetery, Chippenham, 1973

Full description

4. The two tumuli were investigated in --/04/1973 by the writer on behalf of the DoE, in advance of their destruction by road works for the Newmarket by-pass. The W mound (TL/6717/6665) had a diameter of about 100ft (30m) and rose to a height of 3ft (0,9m) above the surrounding field. Excavation proved that this mound, like the E one, was a natural mound, probably of glacial origin. No attempt seems to have been made to artificially heighten of shape the mound. Although the mound was a natural feature it had been used as a burial place. Cut into the chalk and the surrounding sand at the centre of the mound were five inhumation graves and a cremation. Grave I contained two crouched inhumations. The first lay on its left side with its head to the W. The second skeleton was very incomplete, but had originally been lying on its right side, with its head to the E, overlaying the lower part of the first skeleton. Both were unaccompanied by any grave-goods. Grave II was the largest and most impressive of the graves. Lying at the bottom of the grave was a pile of unarticulated bones, representing at least two adults and a child, overlying an articulated skeleton, and to the S of these lay an articulated lower leg and two feet. The sequence of burial in this grave is probably as follows: first a crouched inhumation, lying on its right side, with its head to the N, this inhumation, was then disturbed by the burial of a second body, and everything except the lower leg and two feet of the first inhumation were removed. In the second inhumation the body lay crouched on its left side with its head to the N. The grave was them re-opened for a third time when the pile of unarticulated bones was deposited over the second inhumation. It is possible that the skull and neck bones of a child that lay by themselves on a ledge on the E side of the grave represented the remains of another disturbed inhumation, its position in the sequence being uncertain, except that it would precede the deposition of the pile of bones. Also found in the grave were a bronze cylinder 17mm long and 4mm in diameter; a small jet or shale bead, circular, with flat faces, 5mm in diameter and 2mm wide; and sherds of a beaker belonging to D L Clarke's S2 (Developed Southern (British)) or S3 (late southern (British)) beaker group. It is 18,5 cm high with a rim diameter of 13cm, a belly diameter of 14cm and a base diameter of 8,5cm. The position of the beaker in the sequence of burial in Grave II is uncertain as sherds were found lying against the foot of the S wall of the grave, quite near the articulated leg and feet. It is possible that the beaker was originally interred with the first inhumation, and with the disturbance of this burial the beaker was broken, if it was not already broken, and the sherds distributed over all parts of the grave. The cremation was merely a patch of burnt bone and charcoal, not more than a foot (0,3m) in diameter and 2ins thick. The cremation lay within the fill of Grave III but was not in any obvious pit. Grave III was cut into the fills of Graves IV and V. The body in this grave seems to have been buried tightly crouched on its haunches, with its chest over its thighs and its head to the W. Grave IV partly cut Grave V and contained a crouched inhumation, lying on its left side with its head to the S. Grave V contained another crouched inhumation, this time lying on its back with its legs flexed to the left and its head to the S. Neither inhumation was accompanied by grave-goods. The use of natural mound for a burial place in Chippenham Barrow 3 and 4 excavated by CS Leaf (<5>), there however the natural mounds had been improved upon. In the Waterhall Barrow the graves were cut from the surface with no attempt to construct a mound over them. In character therefore, the graves resemble a flat cemetery that just happens to be sited on a mound. The Waterhall Barrow is interesting in that it seems to demonstrate a fusion between Beaker flat cemetery traits with barrow building traits, with more than a hint of Neo multiple burial practices.
6. Two of the barrows were excavated in --/04/1973 in advance of their destruction by roadworks for the Newmarket bypass....of natural origin but had five inhumation graves and a cremation cut into its summit. The minimum number of individuals interred was possibly five females, three males and three immature individuals. The largest grave, grave 11, contained beaker sherds, numerous flint flakes, an ox bone, a small, circular coal bead, and a small bronze or copper cylinder. None of the other graves contained grave goods.
7. Barrow A (Above grid reference given by <3>). Bowl barrow, 30m in diameter and 1m high.
8. Site 'A' destroyed or mutilated by new A11 bypass.
9. This former barrow was part of the Chippenham barrow cemetery. The barrows, which were first recorded in 1923, form part of a linear cemetery which included at least ten similar barrows spread over a distance of c.1.5km to the south of Chippenham Park (the Chippenham barrow cemetery). To the south and east, two barrows survive in small copses to the south of the A11 at Hilly Plantation (PRN 04425) and The Rookery (PRN 04424). The furthest extant barrow (PRN 04467) lies to the south of the Ely to Bury St Edmunds railway line, some 1.1km to the east of the road junction. The most westerly feature of the cemetery lay c.230m south west of the pumping station. The east-west alignment of the barrow cemetery, together with the positions of further isolated barrows to the south west of Newmarket and to the north east near Kennett and Barton Mills, broadly correlates with the course of the Roman road between Great Chesterford and Thetford (the Icknield Way). The barrows were clearly located to be visible from a prehistoric precursor to this route.
10. Radiocarbon date from human bone from primary inhumation in Grave II (HAR-3880) was 3520 +/- 70 BP
11. Radiocarbon date from human bone in Grave II (HAR-3880) was 3520 +/- 70 BP, calibrated by EH in 1989 to 1950-1750 cal BC (1 sigma) or 2090-1680 cal BC (2 sigma).

Published 1:2500 survey revised on MSD.

various, 1980's, Correspondence regarding dating of Waterhall Farm barrow, Chippenham (Excavation archive). SCB17569.

<1> Fox, C., 1923, The Archaeology of the Cambridge Region, 30 (map) (Bibliographic reference). SCB1232.

<2> 1958, OS 6 inch map (Map). SCB8962.

<3> 1972, OS 1:10000 map (Map). SCB8759.

<4> Martin, E. A. and Denston, C.B., 1976, The excavation of two tumuli on Waterhall Farm, Chippenham, Cambridgeshire, 1973. PCAS 66: 1-22 (Article in serial). SCB10858.

<5> Leaf, C.S., 1940, Further Excavations in Bronze Age Barrows at Chippenham, Cambs. PCAS 39: 29-68, p 33 - 68 (Article in serial). SCB10158.

<6> CDA, 1980, OS field notes (Unpublished document). SCB16677.

<7> ASP, 1968, OS field notes (Unpublished document). SCB16678.

<8> PAS, 1981, OS field notes 1981 (Unpublished document). SCB16675.

<9> English Heritage, 1997, Four bowl barrows N of the A11/A14 junction, part of the Chippenham barrow cemetery, SAM 27180 (Scheduling record). SCB16792.

<10> Otlet, R. L., 1980, Harwell radiocarbon dating certificate (Unpublished document). SCB17568.

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