Monument record 0188100000 - NEWTON LONGVILLE: Hangman's Hill

Summary

Hangman's Hill, mound which may have been constructed as a motte, but in later centuries has been used a windmill site, gallows and cemetery

Protected Status/Designation

  • Planning Notification Area: Medieval motte reused as a windmill mound, and as a post-medieval gallows site

Map

Type and Period (5)

  • MOUND (Medieval to Post-Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1798 AD?)
  • GALLOWS (17th Century to 18th Century - 1600 AD to 1799 AD)
  • CEMETERY (17th Century - 1600 AD to 1699 AD)
  • WINDMILL MOUND (14th Century to 15th Century - 1300 AD to 1499 AD)
  • MOTTE? (10th Century to 12th Century - 900 AD to 1199 AD)

Description

Length 32m, width 22m, height 1.3m.
Mound called Hangman's Hill. On old crossroads, one of highest points in parish, in field called Hangman's Piece. Mound appears to be a motte of early 12th century. Section put across mound which found ditch; primary ditch fill of 12th century, other 12th century - 14th century sherds from fill (B3).
Mound and ditch dug 12th century; occupation short-lived, in 13th century windmill built on summit? Mound has remains of splayed tail or ramp, SW side; suggestive of a mill mound. Windmill may have burnt down in 14th century. Trial-trenched 1962, excavated and bulldozed 1966. Burials found in 1962 originally thought to be medieval, but sherds observed in gravefill suggest a 17th century date. Perhaps these are the graves of criminals hanged here, & buried near the gallows? Area then abandoned and ditch silted up. Nothing to suggest was ever a motte; no trace of ditch (B4,B6).

A probable medieval windmill mound is visible on historic aerial photographs and remote sensing data as earthworks and was mapped as part of the North Buckinghamshire Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18304). Located on a field boundary about 165 metres NW of Parklands and centred at SP 84220 30515, a circular earthwork mound is about 24 metres in diameter. Aerial photographs taken in 1947 show that the mound sits at the edge of a block of medieval ridge and furrow cultivation earthwork at that time (since plough-levelled) (8-9).

Sources (9)

  • <1>SBC6714 Map: Thomas Jefferys. 1770. [Map of] The County of Buckingham. Printed map. Linen. 1 inch:1 mile.
  • <2>SBC15965 Bibliographic reference: VCH BUCKS 4 P426 (CITING ADD MS 5839, PP285-6); SEE ALSO LIPSCOMB 4 P264.
  • <3>SBC16796 Bibliographic reference: 1967. WOLVERTON & DIST ARCH SOC NEWSLETTER 1967. 11. p10.
  • <4>SBC5890 Article in serial: Richard Griffiths & Josie Southernwood. 1973. 'ARCHAEOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NEWTON LONGVILLE, 1964-72', IN RECS OF BUCKS 19 PP324-326. Vol 19, part 3.
  • <5>SBC4787 Graphic material: Mike Farley and A R Pike. 1966. Excavation plans and drawing from Hangman's Hill, Newton Longville.
  • <6>SBC10783 Unpublished document: Ordnance Survey Field Investigator. 1974. OS RECORD CARD SP 83 SW 16 (SURVEY AT 1:2500).
  • <7>SBC13706 Bibliographic reference: D F Renn. 1968. NORMAN CASTLES IN BRITAIN. p257.
  • <8>SBC25831 Aerial Photograph: Historic England. 2022. RAF-3G-TUDD-UK-86 RV 6132 26-MAR-1946.
  • <9>SBC25062 Digital archive: Environment Agency. Environment Agency LiDAR data. LIDAR SP83SW Environment Agency National LIDAR Programme DTM 1 Metre dated 2021 SP8430.

Location

Grid reference SP 84220 30520 (point)
Civil Parish NEWTON LONGVILLE, Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire

Finds (1)

  • SHERD (Medieval to 17th Century - 1066 AD to 1699 AD)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (4)

  • Event - Survey: Aerial investigation and mapping project (Ref: 7768) (EBC18304)
  • Event - Intervention: Excavation (EBC10083)
  • Event - Survey: Topographic earthwork survey (EBC11688)
  • Event - Intervention: Trial trenching (EBC1233)

Record last edited

Aug 31 2022 3:05PM

Comments and Feedback

Do you have any questions or more information about this record? Please feel free to comment below with your name and email address. All comments are submitted to the Heritage Portal maintainers for moderation, and we aim to respond/publish as soon as possible. Comments, questions and answers that may be helpful to other users will be retained and displayed along with the name you supply. The email address you supply will never be displayed or shared.