EXPLORATIONS UPON THE OLD

FIELD NEAR LUDLOW, DECEMBER, 1884

BY CHARLES FORTEY, Esq.

SITUATED Some two miles to the north-west of Ludlow, and close to the Bromfield Station of the Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway, is the Race-course or "Old Field," as it has been called from time immemorial. This is a large open piece of rough pasturage of about a hundred and twenty acres in extent, and it is conjectured that it may have derived its appellation of the "Old Field" from the fact that there are within its area grouped together several of those ancient sepulchral mounds known as Barrows, or Tumuli. These, for the most part, lie in a nearly straight line, and parallel with the road leading from Ludlow to Stanton Lacy. But another of them, and this the largest,' stands somewhat apart from the rest, upon a rise of ground commanding an extensive view of the surrounding country. This is popularly known as "Robin Hood's Butt," or the "Butt Tump," and upon it has flourished until quite recently a fine sycamore tree, which has, however, from some cause, either from old age or premature decay, after languishing for some years, finally died out. This tree had attained goodly proportions, girthing close upon fifteen feet at five feet from the ground, and was upwards of two centuries old. The Lady Mary Windsor Clive being desirous of replanting upon the same spot a young tree in commemoration of

1 This Tumulus is 90 feet in diameter, by 14 feet deep. 2 A young sycamore tree has since been planted here. VOL. VIII

DD

the birth of a son and heir to Lord Windsor, deemed the present a most favourable opportunity, before replanting, to open up and explore the contents of the mound. The work of exploration commenced by digging a trench fourteen feet long by four feet wide on the summit of the tump, another cutting being subsequently made at a right angle to the first, and extending to the outside of the mound in order to facilitate the work of excavation. Nothing was found until a depth of ten feet had been reached, when the workers came upon a small heap, about eighteen inches in diameter, of partially burnt bones, mixed with a quantity of charcoal and red ashes. There were no means at hand of ascertaining the quantity of the remains, but they would probably fill a peck measure. Having carefully removed them, they were found to rest upon a bed of clay, which did not appear to have been subjected to the action of fire. Two feet below this, however, a layer of wood ashes was met with; another two feet brought the workers to the original ground level, indicated by the seam of decayed vegetable matter pervading the whole area. One foot lower and the Rock of Old Red Sandstone was come upon.

It may, I think, be gathered from the foregoing, that the burial, in all probability, took place in the manner following:-A mound of earth flattened out upon the top, about two feet in height, having been first thrown up, the body was placed upon this for burning. The remains then having been gathered up and removed, the mound was raised some two feet higher, when they were replaced upon this higher platform, as now found, and the barrow raised over them. Upon examination of the remains, which were very fragmentary (there being few pieces above two inches in length), they proved to be those of a child of perhaps ten or twelve years of age, the only recognizable portions, however, consisted of a lower jaw, and a few detached teeth. Together with and in the midst of the bones was also found a small piece of a bronze

spear or arrow-head, about two inches in length by one inch in breadth. This was very much corroded with age. There were no other weapons, implements, or ornaments of any kind found in this barrow.

Passing on to the next barrow which is marked No. 2 on plan, I shall not need to dwell upon it at length. It is considerably smaller than the one we have just left, being about forty feet in diameter by seven feet in height. Upon reaching the ground level, a small quantity of wood ashes together with a few pieces of semi-calcined bones, revealed that there had been a burning, but no bronze or other implements were found.

The next barrow opened (No. 3 on plan) is of about the same dimensions as the last, but in this one was observed a much larger quantity of wood ashes together with pieces of burnt bone, and here also was found a small round piece of bronze, about the size of a hazel nut, which may have been an ornament of some kind, but it was, like the spear head previously mentioned, very much corroded with age.

A mound about 18 inches in height, with a diameter of about 30 feet, lying between the two last mentioned, upon examination, proved barren of ashes or other remains.

We now come to the fifth and last of the barrows opened at this time (there being another left for future exploration at a distance of about 300 yards from it). This turned out to be one of a most interesting character. It is somewhat larger in diameter than the "Butt Tump," but not so deep, being only eight feet to the ground level. The work of exploration commenced, as in every other case, by cutting a trench from above. At a depth of two feet only from the top of the mound, to the astonishment of all engaged in the work, an urn containing a quantity of burnt bones was met with. Unfortunately, in consequence of its having been come upon so unexpectedly, it got broken into many pieces by the spade of the workman. The urn, which is of