Emmas Grove, Coberley

Has been described as a Rejected Timber Castle (Motte)

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains

NameEmmas Grove, Coberley
Alternative Names
Historic CountryGloucestershire
Modern AuthorityGloucestershire
1974 AuthorityGloucestershire
Civil ParishCoberley

Rawes writes "Mound with large ditch, uncertain whether round barrow or motte" quoted from O'Niel and Grinsell. PastScape record three Bronze Age round barrows.

The monument includes three bowl barrows, known as Emma's Grove round barrows, situated below the crest of a hill in the Cotswolds. The southern barrow is the largest, having a mound which measures 32m in diameter, and which is 4.2m high on its western side and 2m high on the east. In the centre of the mound is a large depression about 9m in diameter and 1.2m deep, which is thought to be the result of unrecorded excavation in the past. Surrounding the mound is a ditch up to 4m wide and 1m deep, from which material was excavated during the construction of the barrow. To the north west of the large barrow mound is a second mound, measuring 10m in diameter and 0.6m in height. A third barrow is situated 25m to the north east. This mound measures 12m in diameter and is about 1m high. These two smaller barrows also have depressions in the centre of their mounds which are considered to be the result of unrecorded excavation. Surrounding each of the smaller mounds are ditches from which material was excavated during the construction of the barrows. These ditches are no longer visible at ground level, having become infilled over the years, but survive as buried features about 2m wide. The three barrows appear to represent at least two phases of construction, with the two smaller barrows predating the larger barrow. (Scheduling Report)

Gatehouse Comments

Position does overlook a pass from Gloucester onto Cotswolds but there is no evidence of medieval reuse and this can be rejected as a castle site.

- Philip Davis

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSO934159
Latitude51.8420295715332
Longitude-2.09602999687195
Eastings393480
Northings215940
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Witts, G.B., 1883, Archaeological handbook of the county of Gloucester, being an explanatory description of the archaeological map of Gloucestershire p. 100 Nos 24, 25 and 26

Journals

  • Staelens, Y.J.E., 1982, 'The Birdlip Cemetery' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol. 100 p. 21 (as barrow) online copy
  • Rawes, B., 1977, 'A Check List of Castles and other Fortified Sites of Medieval Date in Gloucestershire' Glevensis Vol. 11 p. 39-41 online copy
  • O'Neil, H. and Grinsell, L.V., 1960, 'Gloucestershire Barrows, Lists: Round Barrows, Gloucestershire' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol. 79 Part 1 p. 109 online copy