Whitelow Hill, Near Ramsbottom

 Whitelow Hill, Near Ramsbottom - Middle Bronze Age Cairn (SD805162)

Access Grade 3

Location: Whitelow Hill, Near Bury, in the Irwell Valley, approximately 3 miles north of Bury.

Whitelow Hill is a prominent archaeological site located on the east side of the Irwell Valley, with the summit reaching an elevation of 149 meters. The hill is bordered by Pike Hill, Harden Moor, and Fletcher Bank. This site was discovered in 1960 by the Bury Archaeological Group, following the proposal for a TV mast construction. During excavation, part of the cairn, specifically in the northeast/southwest quadrants, was found to have been damaged, possibly during a backfilling process that occurred in the 19th century.

The Site: Whitelow Hill Cairn

Before the excavation, the cairn had an approximate north-south axis of 26 meters by 24 meters, with a height of 60 centimeters. Three large boulders formed an arc inside the northwest quadrant, hinting at the ceremonial or structural significance of the site.

Central Cairn:

The central cairn, located 1.22 meters from the true center, was circular in shape. It had a diameter of 1.85 meters and stood at a height of 30 centimeters.

Inner Bank:

Looking South West. Inner section 120cm in Diameter.

 semi-circular stone and earth bank of 2m wide enclosed the central cairn on its north side. A middle

section of 60cm thick contained stones of up to 50cm Square

Archaeological Findings and Interpretation:

James Tyson, from the Bury Historical Society, suggests that the site held ritual significance: "In the late 17th century BC, a community of indigenous Bronze Age inhabitants chose the top of Whitelow Hillock, with its earlier association with ritual, as a suitable site for burial and religious practices. The designated area contained a large scatter of gritstone, which was later enclosed by an oval stone bank built from locally gathered materials. Most cremations and burials were located in the southern part of the site."

Additional Findings:

During the last excavation, a Saxon coin was discovered at the center of the cairn. Additionally, Neolithic flints and Bronze Age tools have been uncovered along the Irwell and Roch valleys near Bury. Bronze Age burial sites have also been identified at Radcliffe, to the south, where a disk barrow was found behind Radcliffe Cemetery in 1951. However, no associated human remains or Collared Urns were discovered at this location.

Bronze Age Burial at Whitelow Hill:

A Bronze Age cairn or ringwork was also excavated at Whitelow Hill, about 5.5 kilometers northeast of the Bury Bronze Age site. This ringwork, 14 meters in diameter, featured a 2-meter-wide stone bank and contained 5 cremations with Collared Urns, as well as 6 unaccompanied cremations. A fragment of a small urn was discovered in a pit that did not contain cremated remains. Additionally, at Shuttleworth, to the north of Whitelow Hill, cremated bones and charcoal were found on the floor of the cairn, along with fragments of a small Collared Urn and a Food Vessel, which was secondary to the Collared Urn.