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The West Berkshire Historic Environment Record (HER) is the primary index of the physical remains of past human activity in the unitary authority of West Berkshire Council. Limited elements of the West Berkshire HER are available online via the Heritage Gateway, therefore it is not suitable for use in desk-based studies associated with development, planning and land-use changes, and does not meet the requirements of paragraph 194 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2021: 56). Please read the important guidance on the use of the West Berkshire HER data. For these purposes and all other commercial enquiries, please contact the Archaeology team and complete our online HER enquiry form.


This site is designated as being of national importance and is afforded additional protection. Consult West Berkshire Council's Archaeology team if more information or advice is needed.



HER Number MWB1574
Record Type Monument
Name COMBE GIBBET - Long barrow and wooden post

Grid Reference SU 364 622
Map Sheet SU36SE
Parish Combe, West Berkshire
Inkpen, West Berkshire
Map:Show location on Streetmap

Summary

Renowned and highly visible monument of Neolithic barrow on which was erected a 17th century gibbet, replaced several times

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

  • Scheduled Monument 1013198: LONG BARROW AT COMBE GIBBET, GALLOWS DOWN

Other Statuses and Cross-References

  • Berkshire SMR No. (pre 2000): 01054.00.000

Monument Type(s):

Full Description

The name Combe Gibbet is commonly used to refer both to the wooden gibbet and the long barrow it is erected on. The barrow is a Scheduled Monument, but the gibbet structure is excluded from the scheduling. Public access is possible to this site.

The name Gallows Down has been given to the area, although the gibbet was apparently never used for hanging.

There were surface finds of Romano-British pottery pre 1955 <1>.

Sources and further reading

---1842. Inkpen Tithe Map. Marked 'Gibbet'. [Map / SWB12642]
http://ww2.berkshirenclosure.org.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=DD1%2f76%2f1 (Accessed 10/02/2022)
<01>Archaeology Branch of Ordnance Survey & Newbury Museum staff. 1926 onwards. Newbury Museum Archaeology Map XLI SE.. 41SE. 6 inch. Annotated 'Sherds & Rims. Surface finds of RB pottery. Various find dates. HHCoghlan 20/7/55 '. [Map / SWB11437]
<02>READING MUSEUM INDEX CARD. [Unpublished document / SWB7117]
<03>02/02/1971. NMRSU3761/23/38-42. [Photograph / SWB638]
<04>18/04/1961. CUCACT29. Aerial Photo. [Photograph / SWB637]
<05>23/05/1962. CUCAEK32. Aerial Photo. [Photograph / SWB636]
<06>The Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography. 23/05/1962. CUCAEK27. Aerial Photo. [Photograph / SWB635]
https://www.cambridgeairphotos.com/location/aek27/ (Accessed 30/01/2024)
<07>1899. ORDNANCE NOTE BOOK 1899. P14,19. [Unpublished document / SWB10707]
<08>Berkshire Archaeological Society. 1936. Berkshire Archaeological Journal 1936 40. 40. In ADS Journals. 10.5284/1000017. P55 in An Analysis and List of Berkshire Barrows Part I Addenda by LV Grinsell. [Article in serial / SWB10457]
http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/berks_bas_2007/journal.cfm?volume=40 (Accessed 26/04/2016)
<09>Berkshire Archaeological Society. 1946. Berkshire Archaeological Journal 1946 49. 49. In ADS Journals. 10.5284/1000017. P51 in Notes on Recent Antiquarian Discoveries in Berkshire (III) by F M Underhill. [Article in serial / SWB10411]
http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/berks_bas_2007/journal.cfm?volume=49 (Accessed 25/01/2012)
<10>BCC Dept of Highways and Planning Annual Report. 1993. Archaeology in Berkshire 1992. [Article in serial / SWB13028]
<11>Pevsner, N. 1966. The Buildings of England (Berkshire). p119-20. [Monograph / SWB10024]

Related Monuments

MWB1576COMBE GIBBET (Monument)
MWB1575Combe Gibbet Long Barrow (Monument)

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

EWB1415Berkshire County Council/Babtie general monitoring
EWB166Combe Gibbet Long Barrow, Gallows Down, Inkpen (Ref: W538)