• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

Keys To The Past

MENUMENU
  • Search the Records
  • Sites to Visit
    • Anglo-Saxon Sites
    • Medieval Sites
    • Post Medieval Sites
    • Prehistoric Sites
    • Roman Sites
    • Favourite Sites
  • Local Histories
  • Get Involved
  • Overviews
  • Glossary
  • Help
You are here: Home / Search the Records / Search Results / Results of Search / Site Details

Site Details

Bronze Age Cists (Cheviotside)

Athelstane Mount, the traditional site of the grant of a charter by King Athelstane to Paulane, Odam and Roddam is one of the little hills to the south of Roddam House and the remains of a standing cross were still to be seen on it in 1728 (a).
A stone food vessel found on Athelstane's Mount is now at the Blackgate Museum (Type 1a), and another apparent food vessel 'said to have been found' with the above is now lost.
'An early estate map of Roddam marks a small building on Athelstane's Mount with the legend: 'In digging for the foundations of this building Tombs were discovered contaning very large Human Bones and Urns, 1796'. Whether the vessels listed above may perhaps have been found on this occasion it is impossible to say'. (1)

The urn found on Athelstane's Mount 'quite 50 years ago' (c.1849) is 5 inches high and 7 inches in diameter.
Another urn was found but 'got broken to bits some years ago'. It was rather higher than the above - quite plain, with a pattern roughly marked round the neck. (In spite of the 'quite 50 years ago' the finds are probably those referred to). (2)

Food vessel - Accession No 1907-6. (3)

Centered NU 027 197 Athelstane's Mount: A pasture field with a rise in the centre (See 6 inch for extent) (For the cross referred to (See NU 01 NW 19). (4)

'A' NU 0252 1983. The 'early estate map of Roddam' referred to by authority (1) is a survey dated 1796 in the possession of Major Holderness-Roddam of Roddam Hall. Its shows 'Athelstane's Mount' as the field centred NU0275 1975 and a building in the north west corner of the field (at NU 0252 1984) with the annotation given by authority (1). The 'tombs' were evidently cists containing inhumations and urns. (5)(7a)

Food vessel, found in a mound with another 'urn', now lost. Bipartite bowl, 125mm high, 153mm rim diameter, 80mm base diameter. Decorated. In Museum of Antiquities, Newcastle (1907.6). (6)
N3066
Early Medieval (410 to 1066)
Bronze Age (2600BC to 700BC)
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1957; E Geary
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1957; D A Davies


Source of Reference
Local History of Cheviotside
Local History of Cheviotside

Disclaimer -

Please note that this information has been compiled from a number of different sources. Durham County Council and Northumberland County Council can accept no responsibility for any inaccuracy contained therein. If you wish to use/copy any of the images, please ensure that you read the Copyright information provided.

Top of Page

Contact us | Useful links | Legal Information | Accessibility Statement | Acknowledgements

© 2021 Durham County Council and Northumberland County Council