Exploring Kent's Past

It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.

Monument details

Summary

Saxon barrow cemetery on Breach Down. Excavations during the 19th century located many inhumations dating to the 6th-7th century. Grave goods were recorded and included Roman finds. Field investigations found 38 surviving barrows. The largest was 15 metres in diameter and 1.3 metres in height. The other barrows ranged between 4-6 metres in diameter and 0.3 metres and 0.8 metres in height.

The site lies on top of a north-west facing slope of Breach Down. The bedrock is Upper Chalk. OD 84m.

Monument Types

• ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
• FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• BARROW CEMETERY (BARROW CEMETERY, Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 500 AD? (at some time) to 732 AD? (at some time))
• INHUMATION (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 500 AD? (at some time) to 732 AD? (at some time))
• INHUMATION CEMETERY (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 500 AD? (between) to 732 AD? (between))

Associated Finds

• UNASSIGNED (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• HUMAN REMAINS (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 500 AD? to 699 AD?)
• KNIFE (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 500 AD? to 699 AD?)
• SCABBARD (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 500 AD? to 699 AD?)
• SEAX (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 500 AD? to 699 AD?)
• SPEAR (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 500 AD? to 699 AD?)
• COIN (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 667 AD to 732 AD)

Full description

If you do not understand anything on this page please contact us.

[TR 20674900] Tumuli [NR - 20 shown] (1) On Breach Downs, Near Barham, Lord Albert Conyngham opened 66 tumuli in 1841 and another 8 in 1844. Previously, Sir Thomas Mitchell had opened many in 1809 while another 8 were opened for the C.B.A.A. in 1844. The mounds varied in height up to 8ft but all contained graves cut in the chalk from east to west. Most of the burials belong to the C6th and some to the C7th. A few Roman objects occurred among the contents of the barrows. (2,3) A grave mound cluster situated on a gentle north facing slope of Breach Downs at a height of 275ft OD. Only 38 mounds survive, the remainder having been ploughed out, built upon or otherwise destroyed. The largest mound (probably the `king' barrow) occupies the highest point; it measures 15 metres in diameter and 1.3 metres in height. The remainder vary between 4 and 6 metres in diameter and 0.3 to 0.8 metres in height. The group in general is in poor condition and those mounds nearest the houses are in imminent danger of destruction. Nothing is known to have been found during the destruction of those barrows within the gardens. Resurveyed at 1:2500. (4) Additional bibliography. (5-16)

From the National Heritage List for England:

Details:

The monument includes an Anglo-Saxon barrow field which comprises a group of at least 19 hlaews, or burial mounds, covering an area of around 0.45ha, situated along a narrow, roughly north-south aligned spur of the Kent Downs. To the south east is the most prominent hlaew, known locally as Mount Sinai. This has a bowl-shaped mound measuring around 14m in diameter and up to 2m high. A central hollow and further disturbance on the southern side of the mound indicates that it has been partially excavated some time in the past. Surrounding the mound is a ditch from which material used to construct the hlaew was excavated. This has become infilled over the years but survives as a buried feature around 2m wide.

Lying to the north west are at least 18 further hlaews with roughly circular mounds measuring between 5m-10m in diameter. Most of these show signs of partial excavation and survive to heights of between 0.4m-1.5m. The mounds are surrounded by buried quarry ditches measuring between 1m-2m wide. Seven hlaews have been partially disturbed by the construction of modern tracks, and the profiles of several have been partly obscured by the dumping of modern construction waste and garden refuse.

The barrow field was partially excavated in 1809 and again during the 1840's, at which time over 100 visible barrows were recorded in this area of downland. Each mound excavated was found to have been constructed over a west-east aligned, rectangular grave cut into the underlying chalk bedrock. The graves contained extended human burials, many accompanied by grave goods, or artefacts deliberately deposited with the body. These mainly dated to the period between the sixth and early eighth centuries AD, although some earlier, Romano-British objects were also found.

The modern surfaces of all tracks and paths which cross the monument are excluded from the scheduling, as are the modern electricity poles situated within the monument, although the ground beneath these features is included.

Reasons for Designation:

Barrow fields are groups of between five and 300 closely-spaced hlaews, or burial mounds, dating to the early medieval period. The usually circular mounds, some of which are surrounded by an encircling ditch, were constructed of earth and rubble and covered one or more inhumation burials. These were deposited in west-east aligned, rectangular graves cut into the underlying bedrock. Cremation burials, sometimes deposited in pottery urns, have also been found. Many burials were furnished with accompanying grave goods, including jewellery and weapons, and, at two sites, wooden ships were discovered within large mounds. Most barrow fields were in use during the pagan Anglo-Saxon period between the sixth and seventh centuries AD, although barrows dating to the fifth and eight centuries AD have also been found. The distribution of barrow fields is concentrated within south eastern England, particularly in prominent locations on the Kent and Sussex Downs. However, one Viking barrow field dating to the late ninth century AD is known in Derbyshire, and both barrow fields containing known ship burials are located near river estuaries in Suffolk. Barrow fields are a rare monument type, with only around 40 examples known nationally. They provide important and otherwise rare archaeological information about the social structure, technological development and economic oganisation of the people who constructed and used them. All positively identified examples with significant surviving remains are considered worthy of protection.

Although the barrow field on Derringstone Downs has been partially disturbed by past ploughing, the construction of modern tracks and gardens, and by scrub growth, it survives well when compared to similar sites elsewhere, and has been shown by partial excavation to contain archaeological remains and environmental evidence. (21)

<1> OS 6" 1960 (OS Card Reference). SKE48367.

<2> VCH Kent 1 1908 348-9 (R A Smith) (OS Card Reference). SKE50844.

<3> VCH Kent 3 1932 145 (R F Jessup and M V Taylor) (OS Card Reference). SKE51028.

<4> F1 FGA 22-APR-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42958.

<5> RAF APs 1064/UK/112/3079-80 4089-90 (OS Card Reference). SKE48952.

<6> Gazetteer of Early Anglo-Saxon Burial Sites 1964 111 (A L S Meaney) (OS Card Reference). SKE43571.

<7> JBAA 12 1856 103 (OS Card Reference). SKE44865.

<8> Archaeol 30 1846 46-56 (A Conyngham J Y Akerman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37204.

<9> Proc Soc Antiquaries London Ser 1 2 1850 58-59 (Mahon) (OS Card Reference). SKE48731.

<10> Munimenta Antiqua 1 1799 305 (E King) (OS Card Reference). SKE47472.

<11> Sep Mons in GB 1 pt 1 1786 xiv (Gough) (OS Card Reference). SKE49438.

<12> A Saunter through Kent 23 1929 (C Iglesden) (OS Card Reference). SKE32877.

<13> Remains of Pagan Saxondom pt 15 1855 58 (J Y Akerman) (OS Card Reference). SKE49152.

<14> Remains of Pagan Saxondom pts 20-21 1855 80 pl XL (J Y Akerman) (OS Card Reference). SKE49155.

<15> Remains of Pagan Saxondom pt 3 1853 9-10 pl V (J Y Akerman) (OS Card Reference). SKE49154.

<16> Collectanea Antiqua 1 1848 74 (OS Card Reference). SKE39190.

<17> Proc Archaeol Inst 1846 8 (OS Card Reference). SKE48710.

<18> Willson, J, 1984, Further Saxon Burials From Breach Down, Barham, KAR 76 1984 125-20 (J Willson) (Article in serial). SKE12161.

<19> DOE (IAM) SAMS 1988 Kent 3 (OS Card Reference). SKE40773.

<20> Field report for monument TR 24 NW 1 - April, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5662.

<21> English Heritage, Register of Scheduled Monuments (Scheduling record). SKE16191.

Sources and further reading

Related records