Cropmarks associated with the Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Barrow Field, Kelvedon (EHER 8242)

An Anglo-Saxon barrow cemetery and inhumations are visible as at least four cropmarks. They are tought to be Saxon because of the adjacent cemetery, EHER 8238 in the field called Barrow Field. Two ring ditches (approximately 18m and 5m diameter) and a possible enclosure are visible as cropmarks.

Two ring ditches (approximately 18 metres and 5 metres in diameter) and possible enclosure lines are visible on Nursery land south west of Threshelfords Farm at TL 869 190 (see plan). The larger ditch is double concentric. <1> <2> September 1976. Field survey. The site lies on a gravel terrace to the east of the River Blackwater. No significant features were seen on the ground which is under plough. Ring ditches sited from plan at: 'A' TL 8694 1903 and 'B' TL 8696 1897 as identification on the original photograph is uncertain. <3> <4> <5> A further four ring-ditches were mapped as part of the NMP update 2011. The ring-ditch range from 5-7m in diameter and one has a clear central pit. There maybe other ring-ditches close by but these were not clear enough to map from the 1996 aerial photograph. <6> This is very close to the late Roman or Saxon cemetery of Kelvedon (see 8237-8241). The ring ditches are interpreted as part of the Saxon cemetery. <7> Scheduled as the remains of an Anglo-Saxon barrow cemetery, consisting of at least four barrows, now visible only as ring ditches, and large numbers of pits, interpreted as flat inhumation burials. [No dating evidence is given, though the fields to the north of this site were known as Barrow Fields in the 19th century, and have yielded evidence of Anglo-Saxon inhumations. See associated monument records]. <8> See aerial photographs <9> - <13>. See also <14>. Site Assessment: Late Roman or Saxon cemetery nearby - are the ring ditches related? Original HER entry merged with NRHE data transfer.