Site of Possible Saxon Religious Site at Blacklow Hill
An arrangement of pits, post holes and two burials were discovered during excavations on Blacklow Hill. The site may represent an Anglo Saxon religious site dating to the Migration period.
1 Excavations in advance of the Kenilworth bypass have revealed a series of enigmatic circular pits 1.2m in diameter cut into the sandstone bedrock at the E end of Blacklow Hill. They extend over the whole of the crest of the spur and appear to have been contained within two parallel arcs of square post holes. In a central situation immediately W of the inner arc were two inhumations. These were orientated E-W with feet to the W. The most N grave, that of a male, contained a scramaseax with a blade 30cm long. The site had been disturbed by a quarry-like feature cut into the side of the hill. Dating and interpretation present problems. It is possible that the site was a pagan Saxon grave.
2 Correspondence from 1972.
3 By May 1972 over 200 pits had been excavated, together with 100 slots and post holes.
4 Plan.
5 The project design for excavation of the various sites to be affected by the by-pass.
6 Brief report by volunteer.
7 Review of costings.
8 Note.
9 Newspaper report on the excavation.
10 Correspondence about possible conservation of the site.
11 Correspondence from 1974.
12 Excavation report of the work done in 1971-2.
- For the sources of these notes, see the
- Timetrail record
- produced by the Historic Environment Record.
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