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Preston Chronicle
Saturday 25 June 1842
British Remains at Extwistle
An interesting discovery, says the Blackburn Standard, has been made by Mr. F. C. Spencer, of Halifax, of a British barrow, in the township of Extwistle, near Burnley. Mr. Spencer's attention had been called by Mr. Jonas Lee, farmer, of Thursden, (whose intelligent observation and curiosity deserve great praise) to a small circle of stones in a field called delf-hill pasture, at *Hell-clough-head, in Extwistle, which, on examination, Mr. Spencer preceived to have been a place of British sepulture. The circle originally consisted of rock pillars, (five of which remain) standing about eighteen inches above the surface, and being about two feet square. The diameter of the circle is about five yards. Mr. Spencer directed an excavation to be made without delay, the result of which was the discovery of two very antique earthen urns, curiously marked, containing fragments of human bones, of small dimensions, mixed with charcoal and black mould. The tops of the vessels were covered with small flat slate stones, but little larger than the urns, over which larger heavy stones were placed for their protection. The urns were found about two feet beneath the surface of the field, in the centre of the circle, embedded in soft clay, with many pieces of charcoal interspersed. About three hundred yards from the barrow, are the bold remains of a British circular camp, which determine the character of the urns, the Roman encampments being square. There were present at the excavation, Mr. F. C. Spencer, of Halifax, Mr. Jonas Lee, farmer, of Thursden, Mr. James Smith, farmer, of Worsthorne, Joseph Ormerod and Thomas Ormerod, delvers, or Worsthorne, Henry Lawson, shoemaker, Worsthorne, and Richard Dent, stone mason of Eztwistle. It is to be hoped the gentlemen of that neighbourhood will pursue an investigation so happily commenced by Mr. Spencer.
*Hell, Saxon, Grave.
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Mel
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