Beacon Plantation long barrow, looking northwest along the central spine of the mound as it disappears into the trees. Photograph taken from the southern end of the central section (View 1).
Little
is known about this long
barrow although it is one of the best preserved in the area and also
the largest in Lincolnshire. Situated in a small spinney known as Beacon
Plantation it dates from the Neolithic
and was constructed as a trapezoid mound that originally measured
around 78 metres in length by 19 metres at its widest point tapering off
in width and height from southeast to northwest. The barrow now survives
as three raised sections joined by a pair of lower 'saddles' that occur
towards either end of the earthwork. The southern section consists of
a circular mound that stands to a height of 2 metres with a distinct crater
in its top and it is possible that this may actually be a later Bronze
Age round
barrow that was built into the earlier long barrow. This mound is
also believed to have been used as a medieval beacon (hence the name of
the site) and it could be that work on building the beacon accounts for
the first saddle between the mound and the rest of the barrow although
it is equally possible that it is the result of the collapse of some internal
structure within the barrow. Phillips* notes that burnt earth dug from
the site could either be from the beacon or the result of a deliberate
firing of a wooden mortuary structure in a similar fashion to some long
barrows in East Yorkshire such as Willerby
Wold. This firing and the subsequent collapse of the burnt material
would certainly account for the lower level of the earth at this point.
A second saddle that occurs towards the north remains unexplained but
the fact that the northern section veers in a slightly more westerly direction
from this point would suggest either another collapsed structure or that
this section was not constructed at the same time as the rest of the barrow.Unlike many long barrows in Lincolnshire the earthwork of Beacon Plantation traverses the contours of the landscape rather than following them but in other respects its location, standing below the crest of a high ridge that overlooks a valley (in this case of the Great Eau), is typical of the area.
Sometimes known as 'Walmsgate', this is an easy barrow to find, it is right next to the A16 between Walmsgate and White Pit and just to the south of a large layby on the southbound side of the road.
*CW Phillips - The long barrows of Lincolnshire - 1932
Looking north at the southern end of the central section as seen from ground level (View 2).
Looking south at the central section from the small plantation that gives the barrow its name (View 3).
The southern section of the barrow with its crater clearly visible (View 4). This picture was taken from the southern end of the central section and the 'saddle' that occurs between these two part of the barrow is the lower ground in the foreground. It is unknown if this is the result of internal collapse or later modifications of the barrow.
The northern section of the barrow. This is somewhat lower than the central and southern parts (View 5).
