Oxfordshire's Historic Archives

Historic Oxfordshire
Preserving and Enhancing Access to Historic Oxfordshire
Records of Archaeological Work held by the Ashmolean Museum
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Site Name: Blewbury

Site Location: South Oxfordshire
Related Achive: Manning

Documents in the Manning archive mention a number of barrows at Blewbury.

Churn barrow was probably a long barrow. It was excavated in 1935 by H.H. Coghlan and C.F.B. Marshall, but no finds were recovered. A field visit in 1978 measured the length to about 43m. Churn knob was another large bell-shaped barrow, although it has now mostly been destroyed by ploughing.

Other barrows recorded include:

  • a barrow was located south-west of Rose cottage,
  • three more were in a line at the top of a hill,
  • a round barrow located adjacent to the Ridgeway,
  • and a round barrow on Ashbrook Farm.

Many of these barrows have now been damaged by ploughing and are hardly visible any more.

One barrow was excavated in 1848 when small pottery vessels were found. This site was re-excavated in 1935 when animal bones and early Iron Age and Neolithic pottery were discovered.

2006 photographs taken by kind permission of Churn Estate

References:

Victoria County History of Berkshire, p203

Archaeological Journal, p279

Aerial Photographs
Click on picture to see a larger image
Aerial photograph of Churn Hill
Churn Hill taken by Major Allen on 6 June 1933
(Ref Album 4,97)
Churn Hill
Close view of Churn Hill taken by Major Allen on 23 March 1934
(Ref Album 6,54)
Aerial photograph of 3 barrows at Churn Farm
Three barrows on at hill at Churn Farm taken by Major Allen on 26 August 1934
(Ref Album 6,87)
Churn down
Barrows Churn Down taken by Major Allen on 27 February 1933
(Ref Album 5,73)

Site Photographs
Churn knob
Churn Hill viewed from north-west
(March 2006)
Blewbury Twin Barrow

Two barrows at Blewbury to the south-east of Churn Farm , excavated 1935
(March 2006)
Photographs taken with permission from the Churn Estate.
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