MONUMENT NO. 22888

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A Medieval motte with a possible bailey. The motte survives as an earthwork 30m in diameter, 4m high and 9m in diameter at the top. There is evidence for a ditch, 12m wide at the top and 2m wide at the base and 1.6m deep. Although previously interpreted since 1784 as a Bronze Age barrow, the mound is now considered to be a motte and is scheduled as such. Scheduled.

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NZ 1510 6488. Tumulus. (NR) (1)

Closely adjoining Ryton churchyard is a large barrow yet unopened. (2)

Ryton Local History Society cast some doubt on the interpretation of the mound north of Ryton church, and suggest that it may be a motte with the adjoining churchyard as the accompanying bailey. (3)

Scheduled as "Castle Mound north of Ryton church". (4)

Dense vegetation covers the feature on air photographs. (5)

Centred at NZ 1511 6488 on a northward projecting hill spur with
steep wooded slopes dropping away to the River Tyne in the north and to the gully of Church Dene in the west is a Motte (not a tumulus as stated by Authorities 1 and 2). Previously covered scrub the motte has been recently cleared and seeded with grass and is now well-defined and in good condition measuring about 30.0m in diameter at the base and about 4.0m high. The featureless flat top, about 8.0m diameter, has had an excavation
trench dug across it from north east to south west. To the south of the motte are the remains of a ditch which has been cut across the spur from east to west, the debris having been used to consolidate and heighten the motte. The ditch bottom is about 1.6m below the level of the ground to the south and it measures about 12.0m across the top and 2.0m across the bottom. The southern scarp of the ditch appears to continue curving around to the southeast where there is a distinct change of slope with two very old trees growing on its lip. It has been slightly mutilated by graves but is still clearly evident.

On the west side the modern church wall follows the top of steep
slopes and there is little evidence of artificial scarping. The area to the south of Holy Cross Church (early 13th century) which was once the Rectory has been landscaped and it is now impossible to determine the original state of the ground or prove that there was a bailey attached to the motte but it seems highly probable. Published survey (1:1250) revised. (on MSD). (6)

NZ 1510 6488, Ryton Churchyard.
Large flat-topped mound, diameter 30m, height 3.30m. A depression at the centre may indicate interference in antiquity, although in 1877, Greenwell believed that it remained intact. It has been interpreted as a possible barrow, or a motte.
Additional bibliographic references are given. (7)

A large, flat-topped mound, situated on sloping ground running down to the River Tyne on the N side of Ryton church. Diam. at top 9m, earthen construction, no evidence for surrounding bank or ditch. Recorded as a barrow since 1784, however, conversation with members of Ryton Local History Soc may cast some doubts on this interpretation. They see the mound as a motte, with the churchyard as the accompanying bailey. Group C.
Additional bibliographic reference is given. (8)

NZ 151 649. Castle mound N of Ryton Church. Scheduled No TW/22. (9)

The feature recorded was not visible on any air photography available to the project, however, when viewing later photography in stereo there is certainly the impression of features beneath the tree cover having some height. (10)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1921

( 2) William Greenwell 1877 British barrows: a record of the examination of sepulchral mounds in various parts of England

Page(s)422

( 3) General reference

Young, R, 1975. Inventory of Barrows in Co Durham. (typescript)

( 4) Department of the Environment 1973 Ancient monuments in England : a list prepared by the Department of the Environment, corrected to 31st December 1971

1973 Page(s)88

( 5) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

RAF/CPE/UK/2352 1213-14, 04-OCT-1947

( 6) Field Investigators Comments

F1 ISS 07-SEP-78

( 7) by Roger Miket 1984 The prehistory of Tyne and Wear : an inventory of prehistoric discoveries in the Metropolitan County of Tyne and Wear

No. 1 Page(s)23

( 8) Transactions of the Architectural and Archaeological Society of Durham and Northumberland

An Inventory of Barrows in County Durham (R Young) NS 5, 1980 Page(s)10

( 9) English Heritage 1995 County list of Scheduled Monuments : March 1994

Tyne and Wear Page(s)3

(10) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

NMR OS/92254 126 15-JUL-1992

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