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Shropshire HER
HER Number (PRN):00147
Name:Bowl barrow on Acton bank, 170m north of Acton House
Type of Record:Monument
Protected Status:Scheduled Monument 1010315: Bowl barrow

Monument Type(s):

Summary

Scheduled Monument: One of a group of burial mounds of probable Bronze Age date in the area around Clun, this site has also previously been interpreted as a medieval motte and bailey castle (an interpretation which now appears to be out of favour).

Parish:Lydbury North, South Shropshire, Shropshire
Map Sheet:SO38NW
Grid Reference:SO 3152 8503

Related records

03977Related to: Acton Bank rectangular enclosure (Monument)

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

  • ESA4371 - 1973 field observation by the Ordnance Survey
  • ESA4372 - 1953 field observation by English Heritage
  • ESA4373 - 1981 field observation by English Heritage
  • ESA4374 - 1983 field observation by English Heritage
  • ESA4714 - Marches Uplands Mapping Project 1993-1994 by RCHME

Description

Remnant of castle mound now ploughed over and reduced in height <1a>
Rejected as a castle site <1b><1c>
A grass covered round barrow, 27 m in diameter, 2m in height, situated on a false crest on a south facing slope of pasture. No visible remains of a ditch. OS FI 1973 <1><1d>

Aerial photography has revealed a plausible bailey ditch to the south. <2><3><4>

Further photography has demonstrated an additional smaller rectangular enclosure abutting on the SW side of the bailey, perhaps a small outer bailey <5><6><7><8>

Evaluated for MPP in 1990-1: Low score as one of 46 Motte and bailey castles; Medium score as one of 93 Bowl Barrows <12>

Scheduling affirmed in 1995. Scheduling description: The monument includes a bowl barrow located on a false crest towards the southern tip of Acton Bank Hill. The barrow is visible as a plough-spread mound 27m in diameter and 1.3m high on its northern upslope side and 2.5m high on its downslope south side. Although there is no visible evidence of the ditch from which material would have been quarried for the construction of the barrow, one will survive as a buried feature 2m wide surrounding the mound <13>

The site was mapped by the Marches Uplands Mapping Project in 1994 when it was interpreted as three cropmark features, a motte (272/8/1), a bailey (272/8/2) and an annexe (272/8/3). <17>

Photographed during aerial survey in 2009. No traces of the features identified by MUMP [<17>]. <18>

The cropmark remains of a large circular enclosure with two annex enclosures was seen occupying the same site as the mound noted by previous authorities and mapped from aerial photographs. The main enclosure is centred at SO 3152 8503, but it is not clear from the aerial photographs if there are any traces of a mound remaining. The enclosure is defined by a thick ditch with a diameter of c28m, and appears to have an inner enclosure and traces of four large pits or post holes (possibly the remains of a building or tower). Attached to the south side is a ditch-defined annex with an entrance to the south, which has a second annex enclosure attached to its western side. The site may be the remains of a ploughed out motte and bailey, but without further fieldwork a prehistoric origin cannot be ruled out. <19>

Sources

[00]SSA20722 - Card index: Shropshire County Council SMR. Site and Monuments Record (SMR) cards. SMR record cards. SMR Card for PRN SA 00147.
[01a]SSA178 - Volume: Victoria County History. 1908. Victoria County History 1. Victoria County History of Shropshire. Vol 1. p386.
[01d]SSA31554 - Site visit report: Ordnance Survey Field Investigator. Various. NRHE: Ordnance Survey Field Investigators Comments. F1 ASP 06-DEC-73.
[01c]SSA720 - Article in serial: Hogg A H A & King D J C. 1970. Castles in Wales and the Marches: additions and corrections. Archaeologia Cambrensis. Vol 119. p119-124. p121.
[01b]SSA721 - Article in serial: Spurgeon C J. 1964. Article in Archaeology in Wales. Archaeol Wales. Vol 4. p11.
[01]SSA722 - Card index: Ordnance Survey. 1973. Ordnance Survey Record Card SO38NW10 . Ordnance Survey record cards. SO38NW10 .
[02]SSA16139 - Oblique aerial photograph: Musson Chris R. 1981. CPAT 81/50/0022.
[02]SSA20494 - Oblique aerial photograph: Musson Chris R. 1996. CPAT 96/MB/0074 to 0076 (3 photos). Black and White. Medium.
[03]SSA16140 - Oblique aerial photograph: Musson Chris R. 1981. CPAT 81/52/0028.
[04]SSA16141 - Oblique aerial photograph: Musson Chris R. 1981-Jul-25. CPAT 81/C/0077 and 0079 (2 photos). Colour. 35mm.
[05]SSA16142 - Oblique aerial photograph: Musson Chris R. 1983-Jul-20. CPAT 83/C/0039. Colour. 35mm.
[06]SSA16143 - Oblique aerial photograph: Musson Chris R. 1983-Jul-20. CPAT 83/C/0074 to 0075 (2 photos). Colour. 35mm.
[07]SSA16144 - Oblique aerial photograph: Musson Chris R. 1986-Jul-29. CPAT 86/MB/1024 to 1029 and 1031 (7 photos). Black and White. Medium.
[08]SSA16141 - Oblique aerial photograph: Musson Chris R. 1981-Jul-25. CPAT 81/C/0077 and 0079 (2 photos). Colour. 35mm.
[09]SSA475 - Monograph: Bird A J. 1977. History on the Ground. p100.
[10]SSA723 - Scheduled Monument notification: Department of the Environment (DoE). Map of Scheduled area.
[11]SSA719 - Correspondence: Various. 1987. Correspondence, 1987.
[12]SSA20084 - TEXT: Horton Wendy B. 1990/ 1991. MPP Evaluation File.
[13]SSA724 - Scheduled Monument notification: English Heritage. 1995. Scheduling Papers (Affirmation, 17/01/1995). 19163.
[14]SSA725 - Field Monument Warden Report: Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission (HBMC). 1985. Scheduled Monument Report on SAM 18110.
[15]SSA21549 - Oblique aerial photograph: Musson Chris R. 1996-Jul-24. CPAT 96/MB/0308 to 0309 (2 photos). Black and White. Medium.
[16]SSA21749 - Oblique aerial photograph: Musson Chris R. 2003-Aug-30. CPAT 03/MB/0059. Black and White. Medium.
[17]SSA22521 - Database file: National Monuments Record (NMR). 1993/ 1994. Marches Uplands Mapping Project (MUMP) MORPH records (2006 version). Marches Uplands Survey. MU.272.8 Units 1, 2 and 3.
[18]SSA25877 - Oblique aerial photograph: Shropshire Council. 2009-Jan-6. SA0901_209 to SA0901_213 (5 photos) Flight: 09_SA_01. Colour. Digital.
[19]SSA31557 - COLLECTION: Historic England. 1992-1996. NRHE: RCHME: Air Photograph Primary Recording Project 1992-1996. AP sources not identified..
Date Last Edited:Mar 7 2022 11:07AM

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