Record Details
| MonUID: | MST943 |
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| HER Number: | 00945 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Hlaew and Settlement Remains, Croxall |
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Summary
The scheduled remains of an Anglo-Saxon burial mound with encircling ditch, and the surviving earthwork remains of Croxall medieval settlement. Previously interpreted as a possible motte.
Monument Type(s):
Associated Events:
- EST246 - An archaeological excavation on the site of a barrow at Croxall, Edingale, circa 1800. (NRHE Name - Round Mound, Croxall)
Protected Status:
- Scheduled Monument 1011069: Hlaew and settlement remains at Croxall
Full description
Mound: Often described as a tumulus or low. Diameter 117 ft; 18ft and 29 ft high. <1>
Close to the church on the bank of the River Mease is a remarkable mound or burg with adjoining earthworks of 'small extent'. The latter probably relate to the remains of the deserted medieval village of Croxall (PRN 00947). <2>
In circa 1800 Thomas Princep dug into the north side of the mound, but stopped upon finding human bones. Arms displayed in Croxall Hall are supposed to have been found in this mound but are probably relics of a relatively modern armoury. <3>
This is (probably) a small castle mound based on its dimensions. It is placed in a strong position on the edge of the east bank of the River Mease, defended on the north, east and south by a large ditch and on the west by the steep drop to the river. There is no evidence of a bailey.
The mound has been accepted locally as a barrow, but the human remains discovered circa 1800 may be the result of an extension to the nearby churchyard.
The mound is overgrown, mutilated by terrace paths and by a large depression in the north-east quadrant (which probably represents the site of Thomas Princep's excavation). <4>
The mound is now some 34 paces in diameter and 7ft high. It has been dug in to and badly mutilated. Not certainly a barrow. <5>
The dimensions and position of this mound suggest that it is almost certainly a motte. The mound and ditch have been removed on the north side. <6>
The monument is a 'hlaew' or Anglo-Saxon burial mound. It measures 32 metres in diameter and is 0.5 metres high on the north side. The ditch surrounding it has been infilled and is no longer visible. The north-east edge of the mound is partly overlain by the adjacent churchyard. The mound has now been incorporated into a garden as an ornamental feature. <7>
Sources and further reading
| <1> | SST3636 - Published Book: The Victoria History of the Counties of England. 1908. (VCH volume 1) A History of the County of Stafford, Volume I. Page 375 (O.S. Sheet LIII, 2). |
| <2> | SST390 - Index: Ordnance Survey. See cards. Ordnance Survey Card Index. SK 11 SE - 2 (Transactions of the Birmingham Archaeological Society Volume 12, 1884, page 111 (Anon). |
| <3> | SST390 - Index: Ordnance Survey. See cards. Ordnance Survey Card Index. SK 11 SE - 2 (Historical Sketches of the Parish of Croxall 1881, page 19 by R. Ussher). |
| <4> | SST390 - Index: Ordnance Survey. See cards. Ordnance Survey Card Index. SK 11 SE - 2 (W. Woodhouse, Field Inspector - 05-May-1958). |
| <5> | SST2068 - Serial: University of Keele. 1965. North Staffordshire Journal of Field Studies Volume 5 (1965). 'An Archaeological Gazetteer of Staffordshire: Part 2' by A.J.H. Gunstone, page 36 - Croxall 1. |
| <6> | SST12 - Map: National Monument Record. 1993. National Forest Project Maps / Pastscape Records. SK 11 SE 2 (Monument Number: 921799. |
| <7> | SST3723 - Designation Record: Department for Culture Media and Sport / English Heritage. Ongoing-2016. Scheduled Monument Designation Documents, Scheduled Monument Consents and Section 17 Management Agreements. MPP22/ AA 92389/1. |
Related records
| 00947 | Parent of: Croxall Deserted Settlement (Monument) |
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