Pule Hill: An Archaeological and Historical Overview
Location: Saddleworth/Kirklees, West Yorkshire Border, Grid Ref: SE032108
Access: Grade 2/4 (Summit walk grade 4)
Pule Hill, a prominent feature along the A62 road to Huddersfield, stands as a noteworthy landmark. In 1890, a farmer’s accidental discovery of a flint arrowhead near the summit sparked archaeological interest. This find led to excavation efforts by antiquarians around the peak of the hill. One such excavation involved digging a trench that ran from east to west across the hill. Though the hill's history spans multiple periods, it is believed to have once contained a Round Barrow, a type of burial mound. However, centuries of farming and exposure to the elements have erased any visible surface remains.
At a depth of 18 inches (46 cm) below the soil’s surface, the excavation revealed a cavity 92 cm long by 46 cm wide, carved into the underlying rock. Within this cavity, five urns containing fragments of pottery were discovered. The pottery’s distinctive chevron and herringbone patterns point to a connection with the Bronze Age, though the exact timeframe remains uncertain. Despite this, it is clear that Pule Hill was utilized as a settlement site since the Early Neolithic period.
Drawings of urns & bowls (Manby 1969)
Archaeological Significance and Historical Context
Pule Hill, while not widely known, holds significant archaeological value, especially considering its location on the western edge of Marsden. Roy Brook, in his 1968 survey on the history of Huddersfield, referred to the site as "the most important site" from the Bronze Age in the area. Yet, despite its importance, the hill has received relatively little focused attention from the archaeological community. The hilltop and surrounding edges have been altered by industrial activity, with evidence of past peat extraction for fuel, which has taken a toll on the preservation of the site. Much of the peat has been harvested over centuries, leaving the remains of what was once a prominent burial site nearly lost.
The hill was first mentioned in historical records from 1426, referred to in the Ramsden Documents as "past' voc' le Pole." Later, in 1771, the hill was identified on the Greenwood map as "Puil Hill." The name has since evolved, and local people have alternately referred to it as both Pule and Pole Hill. The name itself is intriguing, as it is believed to derive from Celtic and Old English terms such as peol, pul, and pol, meaning a pool or marsh—particularly one that dried up in the summer. As a result, Pole Moor would translate to "Pool or Marsh Moor," and Pule Hill would then mean "the hill in the marsh."
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