Mortuary enclosure, Walesby

Reference Name MLI51868

Name:
Mortuary enclosure, Walesby

Summary:
Neolithic long mortuary enclosure is scheduled with two Bronze Age bowl barrows immediately north of Otby Top Farm.

Location:
WALESBY, WEST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE

Description:
A NEOLITHIC CROPMARK MORTUARY ENCLOSURE. {1}
THIS ENCLOSURE LIES ON A CREST SUMMIT OF THE MAIN ESCARPMENT, WHICH IS NOT TYPICAL OF LONG BARROWS. IT IS ALIGNED NNW-SSE, AND ITS LONG AXIS RUNS PARALLEL TO THE CONTOURS. IT IS A RECTILINEAR, WEDGE-SHAPED OR TRAPEZIFORM ENCLOSURE WITH A POSSIBLE ENTRANCE GAP AT THE NORTH WEST CORNER. IT IS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A LONG BARROW TYPE, BUT IS A MORTUARY ENCLOSURE. {2}{6}, LENGTH 68M, WIDTH 50M, HTM 158M
AN OBLONG ENCLOSURE WITH ROUNDED CORNERS AND ALIGNED NNW TO SEE WITH AN APPARENT ENTRANCE AT THE N END. {4}{5}
LENGTH 75M, WIDTH 40M, HTM 158M
The monument includes the buried remains of a long mortuary enclosure of the Neolithic period and two Bronze Age bowl barrows situated on the eastern side of the steeply sloping valley of the Otby Beck, immediately north of Otby Top Farm. The intervening ground between the mortuary enclosure and the barrows, which is thought to contain archaeological evidence for activities focussed on the site, is also included in the scheduling. {7}

Sources:
1 Map: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1992-1996. National Mapping Programme. LINCOLNSHIRE. TF1495:LI.244.6.1,1993,
2 Index: Jones, D.. 1997. Gazetteer of Neolithic Elongated Enclosures and Extant Long Barrows in (Historic) Lincolnshire. -
3 Aerial Photograph: HAYES, J.T. AND WILSON, P.. 1959-87. RCHM. FRAMES 1-16,1970,
4 Article in monograph: JONES, D.. 1989. ARCHAEOLOGY AND LANDSCAPE STUDIES IN NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE. No. 208, part II, pp.15-16
5 Aerial Photograph: HAYES, J.T. AND WILSON, P.. 1959-87. RCHM.
6 Correspondence: JONES, D.. 1996. PARISH FILE. WALESBY.
7 Scheduling record: English Heritage. 1999. Scheduling document 29748. MPP 22