Monument record LML 002 - Seven Hills Barrows

Round barrow, part of the 'Seven Hills' group (sometimes incorrectly described as being in Ampton). The group is situated on gently undulating ground at a height of approximately 150 feet O.D. Of the seven barrows that originally existed here only three remain, situated in a small fir copse on the E side of Bury St Edmunds - Thetford road (S1). The sites of the four flattened barrows lie to the W of the road - Ingham parish (see ING 004).
Circa 1739: Named as the Seven Hills and suggested as the burial site of the rebel Earl of Leicester's army following the Battle of Fornham, 1173. Noted that although called the Seven Hills, there are more, but with seven larger than the rest (S2).
1868: This, the most northerly of the group was incompletely excavated by Canon W Greenwell. The mound was then partially tree covered, 82 feet diameter, 8 feet 8 inches high and composed chiefly of sand. Six cremations were found, one of which was of a child and one was under an inverted collared urn (? now in BM; see Ampton Misc). Probably all represent secondary burials. Burnt and struck flints also found (S3).
B Brown 1950-1951 records an `A' Beaker sherd from this area and a barbed and tanged arrowhead from `Seven Hills' is in the possession of the resident, North Stow Farm (S1).
1962: A much mutilated bowl barrow now measuring 26m E-W and 31m N-S. It is 1.8m high with no trace of a ditch. The barrow is covered with much undergrowth and bracken (S1).
1968: Numerous illicit holes dug and refilled. Fragments of a collared urn with cord impressed chevron decoration recovered, now in BSEMH (S4). Circa 10 holes dug by `Treasure Hunters' using metal detectors and roughly re-filled. Part of a collared urn, with twisted cord decoration in a chevron pattern on outside of rim only, recovered. `Apparently inverted over a cremation. The finders discarded the bones and distributed the pot among themselves - just over half was recovered along with one calcined human tooth (?child of circa 5 years). Remainder of pot believed to be in possession of ...... (not named). A small rim sherd of the same pot was recovered from top of fill in one of the above holes' (S10).
1969: 4 feet 6 inches to 5 feet high x 60 feet in diameter. Very overgrown. L-shaped trench in SW quadrant - not of recent digging (S5).
1976: On the edge of woodland, tree covered, also bracken and brambles. 1.23m high and 24m in diameter. A hole in the centre (S6).
1981: 4 feet 6 inches high and 60 feet in diameter, still slight evidence of trench in SW quadrant. Small deciduous and fir trees on barrow - in mixed rather derelict plantation. A Mr Sparrow has recently bought the cottage and land W of the barrow and the boundary fence would appear to include roughly one and half metres of the W side of the barrow on Mr Sparrow's land (S5).
1986: Mainly deciduous trees on mound. W flank in cottage garden planted with grass and daffodils (S5).
1999: Scheduled area revised (to include LML 004 & 005 & ING 004). Details in (S5).
See also LML 004, 005 and ING 004.