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| Name: | Devils Spittleful, Bewdley |
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| HER Reference: | WSM00563 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Grid Reference: | SO 807 746 |
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| Map Sheet: | SO87SW |
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| Parish: | Bewdley, Wyre Forest, Worcestershire |
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Monument Types
- MOUND (Unknown date)
- ROUND BARROW (EARLY BRONZE AGE to EARLY IRON AGE - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
- CAVE (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- SETTLEMENT (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
Associated Events
- Landscape Survey in 2009, Devil's Spittleful, Bewdley (Ref: WSM39132)
Protected Status
Full description
Adjoining the railway from Kidderminster to Bewdley on the sandy ground near Spring Grove is a tumulus called Devils Spittleful. It is said that the Devil was going to dam up the Severn and carried the earth forming this tumulus on his spade for the purpose, but losing his way he dropped it down here. There is no record of any examination having ever been made of it. Probably it is sepulchral (of a burial place). [1]
With reference to the Domesday entry for Kidderminster (1, 2) and in particular for berewick of `TEULESBERG'. Medieval `U' and `V' were interchangeable. Mawer and Stenton suggest for Teulesberge an OE personal name `Teoful'. `Devils' may be a corruption of this. Rolt's `Worcestershire' describes the Devils Spittleful as follows: `A curious isolated cone of red sandstone between Bewdley and Kidderminster. It is of natural origin, but is partly enclosed by a ditch and contains traces of rock dwellings of indeterminate date.' [2]
Photographs and comments recorded by D Guyatt. [3]
Photographs of the cave on the Devils Spittleful. Possibly a prehistoric seasonal shelter. The remnants of a brick chimney are remembered within living memory (approximately 60 - 70 years ago). [5]
Historic landscape survey undertaken in 2009.[6]
Monitoring visit in 2012.[7]
The Devil's Spadeful mound. A mound on sandy ground which has not been opened. Reputed to be sepulchral. (It is not possible to substantiate the published name "Devil's Spittleful"). (The Victoria history of the county of Worcester: volume one, 1901 Pg 191) The Devil's Spadeful is a pinnacle of sandstone rock about 35 to 40 feet high rising from a sandy hillock. It has a small cavern at the south-west end, which has been inhabited. (Allies, J. 1852. Antiquities of Worcestershire p305-6, Brassington, WS. 1894. Historic Worcestershire, p102-). [8]
This record includes National Record of the Historic Environment Information provided by Historic England on 9th April 2019 licensed under the Open Government Licence: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/. [8]
Graffiti at the site recorded in 2016 indicates dates of 1771 and possibly 1611. [9]
Sources and further reading
| <1> | Bibliographic reference: Doubleday H Arthur. 1901. A History of the County of Worcestershire, Volume 1. Victoria County History. 1. vol I, p191. |
| <2> | Bibliographic reference: Guyatt, D. 1992. Devil's Spittleful. WALHN. |
| <3*> | Correspondence: Guyatt D. 1992. Photographs and Notes. SMR File. |
| <4> | List: 1998-1999. List of Nationally Important Sites. MPP List. |
| <5*> | Photograph: Gough, E. 22/04/2009. Photographs: The Devils Spittleful. |
| <6*> | Unpublished document: Christiansen, C.. 2009. Historic Environment Landscape Survey at Devil's Spittleful, Bewdley, Worcestershire. Archaeological Service - Worcestershire County Council. Archaeological Service - Worcestershire County Council. 1733. |
| <7*> | Countryside Archaeology Advice: Hathaway, E. 2012. Monitoring visit to Devil's Spittleful Nature Reserve, Bewdley. |
| <8> | Internet Site: Historic England. 2019. National Record of the Historic Environment Monument Database. Inserted 1998. |
| <9*> | Photograph: Hoaen, Andrew. 2016. Graffiti at Devil's Spittleful. |
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