Documentary reference to Site of Anglo Saxon Cemetery 600m N of Newton Lodge

Description of this historic site

No evidence for the cemetery at this location following archaeological geophysics and trial trenching.

Notes about this historic site

1 In 1843 labourers filling an old quarry 600m NW of Newton Lodge in Clifton upon Dunsmore parish found eight or ten skeletons just below the surface. With them was the bronze handle of a Roman skillet, an amethyst bead, two gold pendants, a barrel-shaped bead of gold wire and two others of silver, two small gold ornaments with loops and three small earthenware beads.
2 Skeletons, beads, a jewel mounted in gold and a bronze bowl handle, found 1843. Bloxam considered them to be Roman but the jewel was pronounced Saxon and probably the whole find is Saxon. The bronze bowl handle is from a Romano British skillet.
4 The Ordnance Survey gives grid reference SP5376 and corrects Bloxam’s quotation from half a mile (600m) NW of Newton Lodge to half a mile N of Clifton Lodge, Newton. The justification for locating the cemetery at this location appears to be the map of Anglo Saxon remains in the VCH. However Bloxam clearly locates the site NW of Newton Lodge and there appears to be no justification for locating the cemetery NE of Clifton upon Dunsmore. Potato Board air photograph shows a probable quarry at about SP5178 and this corresponds with the position given by Bloxam. It is on the boundary of the parishes of Churchover and Newton and Biggin; Newton and Biggin were formerly part of Clifton upon Dunsmore parish.
5 Air photograph.
6 Noted in DBA. No Anglo-Saxon remains were located in excavation.
7 Geophysical survey conducted and no anomalies associated with this feature were noted.
8 Trial trenching did not reveal any evidence for this cemetery.

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