LEAFIELD BARROW

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DESCRIPTION

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The site of Leafield Barrow, a medieval Motte castle. Initially interpreted as a Bronze Age barrow and later as a Saxon barrow, this site is now believed to be a Motte castle.
The motte, located on a small hill, measures 38 metres across and is 4 metres high. It has a flat oval summit and there is a square feature with an internal depression which has been interpreted as being the remains of a stone keep, similar to that at the nearby motte and bailey castle in Ascott d'Oyley. The motte is in the centre of a series of earthworks including medieval ridge and furrow cropmarks and the possible remains of a bailey.
There is no evidence of a ditch around the base of the motte and the eastern side has been damaged by the building of a reservoir.

DETAIL

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MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES

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(SP 31611541) Leafield Barrow (NAT)
Tumulus (NR) (1)

Leafield barrow. A round barrow, north of the village, 320ft in
circumference, 11ft 6ins high on west end and 8ft on east.
Grass-grown and planted with trees, it has the appearance of having been opened. (2)

The mound stands in permanent pasture on the highest point of a low hill. It is egg-shaped with the large end towards the north west and has a flattened and disturbed top on which can be seen a low lateral bank that is probably recent.
No traces of a ditch can be seen.
An OS trig pillar stands on top and the north east side has been
encroached upon by a reservoir. Certainly a substantial feature, but it cannot be said categorically to be a barrow.
Published 1:2500 survey revised. (3)

(SP 31601541) Leafield Barrow (NAT) (4)

SP 316155. Leafield Barrow, round barrow, scheduled. (5)

SP 31611540. Round barrow, c. 25m in diameter and 4m high, listed. (6)

The motte, located on a small hill, measures 38 metres across and is 4 metres high. It has a flat oval summit and there is a square feature with an internal depression which has been interpreted as being the remains of a stone keep, similar to that at the nearby motte and bailey castle in Ascott d'Oyley. The motte is in the centre of a series of earthworks including medieval ridge and furrow cropmarks and the possible remains of a bailey.
There is no evidence of a ditch around the base of the motte and the eastern side has been damaged by the building of a reservoir.
Please note that the site has been identified as a motte castle whereas before it was believed to be a Bronze Age barrow. The previous sources all cite it as a barrow. (7)

The Oxfordshire Historic Environment Record contains the same information stated in sources 1-7 but includes additional references and a number of photographs of the site. (8)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1955

( 2) General reference

VCH Oxon 2 1907 346 (W Potts)

( 3) Field Investigators Comments

F1 BHS 06-AUG-73

( 4) General reference

OS 1:10000 1978

( 5) General reference

DOE (IAM) AMs Eng 3 1978 80

( 6) General reference

CBA Gp 9 N/L S Midlands Arch 14 1984 54 (A Mudd)

(7) Scheduled Monument Notification

04-JAN-1995

(8) Externally held archive reference

Oxfordshire Historic Environment Record

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