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Summary - not yet available

Monument Type(s):

• BARROW (Bronze Age - 2500 BC to 701 BC)
• CREMATION (Bronze Age - 2500 BC to 701 BC)

Associated Finds:

• VESSEL (Bronze Age - 2500 BC to 701 BC)

Associated Events:

• Antiquarian excavation at Allington Hill in 1846

Full description

1. Two of the barrows on the edge of Newmarket Heath, belonging to the group called the beacons, were examined in May 1846 by a party from Cambridge. In one of the nothing was found as it appeared to have been previously opened; in the other the remains of a British internment, consisting of a rude vase (now in the CAAM), a few bones and some ashes, were discovered.

O1, The actual location of "The Beacons" is uncertain. Fox (3.) lists them among the Hare Park barrow group at the "E end of the4-mile racecourse" but quotes no authority for this. The Hare Park barrow group (see TL 55 NE, various sites) lies near the W end of the 4-mile racecourse, part of which is now known as the Beacon Course. There is a ring ditch at the E end of the 4-mileracecourse, in Newmarket, Suffolk (TL 66 SW 24). Fox quotes Arch J 3 (4.), as reference, which is an account of the excavation by WT Collins in 1846 of one barrow "in the parish of Bottisham, on the borders of Newmarket Heath." Collings states that it is situated on the chalk escarpment, making it conspicuous for miles around. Newmarket Heath does not fall in Bottisham parish and there are a large number of barrows and ring ditches in the area which could answer this description (see TL 55 NE, TL 56 SE). RCHM (5.), also quoting Collings, erroneously identify this barrow with the one on Allington Hill (TL 55 NE 04) which is AS in origin. The Cambridge Chronicle indicates the barrow was located hard by the Devil's Dyke and some distance from Hare Park (2). Reaney (6.) states that Beacon Farm (TL/592-/617-) is "so called from the Beacons, 2 barrows at the 'E end of the 4-mileracecourse'", quoting Fox (3.) as reference. As Babington (1.) implies that there are more than 2 barrows, and places them "on the edge of Newmarket Heath" the names "Beacon Course" and "Beacon Farm" would seem to place The Beacons in the area TL/60--/63--. Likely candidates are the 3 small tumuli shown on OS 1st Edn 1in (TL 66 SW 19), or 3 ring ditches to the W (TL 66SW 21, TL 56 SE 58).

7. Location evidence is poor.
1. Collings describes them as
a. containing a cremation, measured 90ft in diameter, 3ft in height, and closely related to the 'Beacon-course'. Cutting made east to west from the eastern side. Found inverted cinerary urn, traces of human remains. Evidence of charcoal surrounding the mound
b. The second barrow was described as 300 yards down the south slope of Allington Hill c.1 quarter mile to the south west of the first. Diameter 70ft. Cut made ENE to SSW through the centre of the mound. Portions of two vases found.

The Cambridge Chronicle reported the two sites as
a. on the south slope of Allington Hill, c9 chains (180m) from the crown of the hill. Diameter 70ft. This they describe as being empty. Cut made ESE to WNW. Two portions of vases found.
b. NNE of Hare Park and c1000 yards from it on land belonging to Downing College and in Swaffham Bulbeck. Diameter 80-90ft. Found inverted cinerary urn, traces of human remains.

Colling's barrow (b) might therefore reasonably be taken as PRN 06752 given it is located approximately 300 yards south of Allington Hill.

Collings barrow (a) is more problematic. Descriptions simultaneously include references to Devils Dyke and Beacons course some distance from Hare Park which lends weight to PRN 07456 but also distances of just 1000 yards (900m) NNE of Hare Park which lends weight to either PRN 06758 or 06759. Of these two, 06578 is closer in diameter to the stated 80ft in the descriptions. PRN 06758 & PRN 06759 are suggested by RCHM (although they also attribute 00001 and 06752 to 1846).

<1> Babington, C.C., 1883, Ancient Cambridgeshire, 67 - 69 (Bibliographic reference). SCB1323.

<2> 23/05/1846, Cambs Chronicle, 1846 (Serial). SCB1845.

<3> Fox, C., 1923, The Archaeology of the Cambridge Region, 327 (Bibliographic reference). SCB1232.

<4> 1846, Arch J 3, p. 255-6 (Article in serial). SCB909.

<5> RCHM, 1972, An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in the County of Cambridgeshire. Volume II. North-East Cambridgeshire, 40 (Bibliographic reference). SCB13360.

<6> Reaney, R.H., 1943, The Place-Names of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely, 135 (Bibliographic reference). SCB13796.

<7> Beckley, R., 2019, Observations by R Beckley (Verbal communication). SCB60663.

Sources and further reading

Documents

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