MONUMENT NO. 359490

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Golden Parsonage mound, C19th garden feature.

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(TL 05331242) Tumulus (NR).(1)

"A curious small artificial mound or tumulus" at Golden Parsonage. This has been opened up but was found to contain nothing. Its origin is unknown. (2,3)

Listed by Dyer (4) as a possible Saxon barrow, called "Golden Lowe" in the 12th century, quoting Grinsell (5) as authority.
However, Grinsell makes no connection between "Golden Lowe" and the mound at Golden Parsonage and there appears to be no justification for Dyer's assertion. "Golden Lowe" appears to have been situated in the Dunstable area (6). (See also TL 01 NW 13). (4-6)

A mound, planted with large beech tree and measuring 25.0m in diameter and 3.5m in height. Its extreme height in relation to its diameter suggests that it is not a burial mound but more likely a landscape feature or Belvedere associated with Golden Parsonage (18th century) from which it is visible. No finds have been made and the name "Golden Lowe" is not known to the landowner.
Published survey (25") revised. (7)

TL 055125. Listed as a doubtful castle mound. (8)

Mound excavated early September 1981, when a trench measuring 0.75m by 11.6m long was dug along the NW side. The excavation went down to below the old buried land surface and the finds made such as clay pipe stem and pieces of coal from the buried land surface beneath the mound prove conclusively that it was constructed during the mid-nineteenth century. (9)

TL 05341242. Further excavation in 1984 to test the hypothesis that the mound may cover an ice house disproved this idea, but confirmed the mid-C19th date for the feature. (10)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1901

( 2) General reference

VCH Herts 2 1908 205

( 3) General reference

RCHM Herts 1910 102

( 4) General reference

Arch J 116 1959 19 (J F Dyer)

( 5) General reference

Anc Burial Mounds of Eng 1952 110 (L V Grinsell)

( 6) General reference

EPNS Beds & Hunts 1926 120 (A Mawer & F M Stenton)

( 7) Field Investigators Comments

F1 NKB 08-MAR-72

( 8) General reference

Md Castles Herts 1971 16 (D Renn)

( 9) General reference

Herts Past 12 1982 30-33 plans (N Doggett & J Hunn)

(10) General reference

Hertfordshire Past 22 1987 29. (Doggett N and Hunn J)

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Monument Name/No

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Description

GOLDEN PARSONAGE
GREAT GADDESDEN

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A country house built in the 16th century and enlarged in 1705, the earlier part of the house was demolished in 1774 leaving only the 18th century w...

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