Bartlow burial mound no VII (7) - The first in the line of three (no's 7, 4, 5) Roman barrows at Bartlow Park, Cambridgeshire.

Bartlow burial mound no IV (4) - The 2nd in the line of three (no's 7, 4, 5) Roman barrows at Bartlow Park, Cambridgeshire.

Bartlow burial mound no IV (4) - The 2nd in the line of three (no's 7, 4, 5) Roman barrows at Bartlow Park, Cambridgeshire. pic 2

Bartlow burial mound no V (5) - The last in the line of three (no's 7, 4, 5) Roman barrows at Bartlow Park, Cambridgeshire.

Bartlow, Cambridgeshire: Round barrow no IV (4) the largest out of the four surviving Romano-British burial mounds. Originally conical shaped it stood a massive 93ft high with a diameter of 147ft. Nowadays although it is greatly reduced in size 45ft high & 144ft in diameter it is still the largest Roman mound in Western Europe.

Another view of Bartlow Roman burial mound no IV (4) A scheduled ancient monument.

Bartlow burial mound no VII (7) - The first in the line of three (no's 7, 4, 5 ) Roman barrows at Bartlow Park, Cambridgeshire. I estimate its height as being around 30 - 35 ft. Out of the original seven mounds no's 1, 2, 3 were totally destroyed, however a smaller barrow VI (6) does still exist but is obscured from view - by fencing and dense woodland and is not accessible to the public - as it stands on privately owned land.

Bartlow Roman burial mound no V (5). Mound VI (6) is obscured from view by fencing and dense woodland and is inaccessible to the public as it now stands on privately owned land.

Bartlow Roman burial mound no V (5) is smaller than the other two & rather overgrown in comparison. Barrows 1, 2 , 3 have been destroyed to such an extent (by extensive ploughing & to make way for the Victorian Railway Line) that they are only recognisable as slight depressions in the surrounding landscape.

Another view of Bartlow burial mound IV (4)

Another view of Bartlow burial mound IV (4)

Another view of Bartlow burial mound V (5)

Bartlow burial mound IV (4) steps and mound no VII (7) in the distance.

Bartlow burial mound V (5) image 2

Bartlow burial mound VII (7) image 2

Bartlow burial mound VII (7) image 3

Bartlow burial mound IV (4) view 2

Bartlow burial mound VII (7) view 2

Bartlow burial mound V (5) image 3

Bartlow burial mound IV (4) and its wooden staircase to the top of the mound - between 42 - 45ft high

The footpath from St Mary's Church to Bartlow Park

Bartlow Park, Cambridgeshire.

Bartlow burial mound II (2) is still visible as a low rise.

Bartlow burial mound I (1) is just discernible - although mound three has been totally destroyed.

The now destroyed mound 1, which is still discernible as a low rise in the ground at Bartlow Park, Cambridgeshire.

The now destroyed mounds 1, 2 & 3 which are still discernible as low rises in the ground at Bartlow Park, Cambridgeshire.

The now destroyed mounds 1, 2 & 3 which are still discernible as low rises in the ground at Bartlow Park, Cambridgeshire.

The now destroyed mounds 1, 2 & 3 which are still discernible as low rises in the ground at Bartlow Park, Cambridgeshire.

The now destroyed mounds 1, 2 & 3 which are still discernible as low rises in the ground at Bartlow Park, Cambridgeshire.

The now destroyed mounds 1, 2 & 3 which are still discernible as low rises in the ground at Bartlow Park, Cambridgeshire.

An 18th century engraving of Bartlow burial mounds. The steep conical shaped mounds were once surrounded by a ditch - which is typical of Roman burial mounds of the late first century to early second centuries AD.

My personal artists impression of the Roman burial mounds site at Bartlow Park. Unfortunately it is not known who the high status grave occupants were, or where they had lived, though a humble villa was discovered nearby during archaeological investigations of the surrounding landscape.

St Mary's Church, Bartlow, a footpath around the side leads on through woodland to the Roman burial mounds at Bartlow Park. St Mary's round tower is quite unique - only one other church in Cambridgeshire features a round tower.

The Bartlow collection on display at Saffron Walden Museum.

The surviving objects from Busick Harwood's excavations in 1812 of one of the lesser barrows. Left to right: Item (1) iron hanging (oil) lamp, (2) a billhook, (3) pottery bottle.

Picture appears by kind permission of Saffron Walden Museums.

A copy of the miniature enamelled copper cauldron from Bartlow burial mound IV

1st century AD bronze Roman jug and patera (dish) from Bartlow tumulus IV

An iron folding (military) chair: Which is quite similar to those found in barrow burials at Bartlow, Holborough Knob, Lexden; Colchester, this particular item was found at St Albans, Hertfordshire.

My personal artists impression of the unusual iron folding chair found in Bartlow burial mound IV ( 4), it originally had a seat of leather straps, it was obviously the ancient precursor of the portable folding fishermans stool, and the deck chair.(C) sheshen-eceni graphics

Bartlow folding chair seat of leather straps. This is an artists graphic reconstruction of the most likeliest design of the leather strapped seat for the folding chair from Bartlow mound IV (4) (C) sheshen-eceni graphics

St Mary's Church Bartlow, Cambs: the round tower is unique - only one other church in Cambridgeshire features a round tower.

Ashdon Church some Victorian historians believed this to be The Danish king Cnut's Minster - built in AD1020 as a monument to the dead following the heavy defeat of (king) Edmund Ironsides Anglo-Saxon forces.

Hadstock church also thought by some to be king Cnut's minister. It is famous for its "Daneskin" door - of which tests have proven to be animal (cow) hide.