Roman BritainHey Hill: a Roman barrow 260m south west of Lord's Bridge
Roman Bridge · Infrastructure

Hey Hill: a Roman barrow 260m south west of Lord's Bridge

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: nhle-17119
Site type
Bridge
Category
Infrastructure
Latitude
52.1711
Longitude
0.0376
Overview

History & context

Hey Hill is a Roman barrow situated 260m south-west of Lord's Bridge, near the parish of Barton in Cambridgeshire, despite its administrative classification under "bridge" infrastructure. It is a funerary monument dating to the Roman period, likely 1st-2nd century AD, consisting of a substantial earthen mound covering one or more burials. Such barrows typically served as prominent burial markers for wealthier rural individuals or families.

Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →

Significance

Historical significance

The barrow's location near Lord's Bridge and the Bourn Brook crossing places it within a landscape of Roman activity south-west of the regional centre at Cambridge (Duroliponte), reflecting the practice of siting elite burials beside roads or routeways for visibility. Roman barrows in eastern England, often associated with Romano-British or Romanised native elites, form a distinctive funerary tradition concentrated in the territory of the Catuvellauni and Iceni.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

The monument survives as an upstanding earthwork and is a Scheduled Monument, but no formal excavation has been recorded, so its internal structure, grave goods and precise date remain undetermined. Comparable Roman barrows in the Cambridgeshire region, such as the Bartlow Hills and the Eastlow Hill mound, suggest it likely covers a cremation burial accompanied by grave goods of mid-Roman date.

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Hey Hill: a Roman barrow 260m south west of Lord's Bridge?

Hey Hill is a Roman barrow situated 260m south-west of Lord's Bridge, near the parish of Barton in Cambridgeshire, despite its administrative classification under "bridge" infrastructure. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a bridge site from the Roman period in Britain.

What type of Roman site is Hey Hill: a Roman barrow 260m south west of Lord's Bridge?

Hey Hill: a Roman barrow 260m south west of Lord's Bridge is classified as a Roman bridge — a infrastructure site in the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer. Roman Britain's archaeology encompasses thousands of sites ranging from legionary fortresses and marching camps to villas, temples and towns.

What other Roman sites are near Hey Hill: a Roman barrow 260m south west of Lord's Bridge?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Romano-British settlement site SW of Trumpington (4.1 km), Roman site N of Brown Spinney (6.2 km), Wimpole Lodge (6.6 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.

How can I research the history of the area around Hey Hill: a Roman barrow 260m south west of Lord's Bridge?

Aubrey Research generates detailed historical reports for any location in Britain, incorporating Roman heritage, Domesday Book records, scheduled monument data, archaeological finds and much more. Enter a nearby address to begin.

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Research the area around Hey Hill: a Roman barrow 260m south west of Lord's Bridge