Maiden's Bower
 A close-up picture of Maiden's Bower taken in May 2024 | |
  Map showing the location of the Maiden's Bower in County Durham. | |
| Location | Durham |
|---|---|
| Region | County Durham |
| Coordinates | 54°46′43″N 1°35′26″W / 54.7787°N 1.5905°W |
| OS grid reference | NZ 26437 42715 |
| Type | Round barrow |
| History | |
| Periods | Bronze Age |
| Site notes | |
| Public access | Yes |
| Official name | Maiden's Bower round cairn |
| Designated | 14 December 1926 |
| Reference no. | 1008843 [1] |
Maiden's Bower is a Bronze Age round cairn built in Flass Vale Nature Reserve, in Durham, England. It is a scheduled monument with a list entry number of 1008843.
Description
The flat-topped cairn measures 8.5 metres in diameter and stands to a maximum height of 1.5 metres.
It is surrounded by a level berm 3.5 metres wide. On the south-western side there are visible traces of a surrounding ditch, 0.3 metres deep and 2 metres wide.[1]
Location
Maiden's Bower is located in North East England, County Durham, Durham, in the south-west corner of the Flass Vale Nature Reserve. The cairn is situated on the north-eastern end of a ridge overlooking the Wear Valley.
History
Maiden's Bower dates back to around 3,000 years ago, when people settled in the area and started clearing Flass Vale for pasture.[2][3]
The earliest recorded mention of Maiden's Bower was in 1346. Before the Battle of Neville's Cross the Durham monks, led by Prior John Fossor, raised the holy corporax cloth from St. Cuthbert's tomb as a banner on the cairn during a vigil. During the battle clergymen from Durham Cathedral used the slope around Maiden's Bower as a vantage point.[4] A wooden cross to commemorate the victory of the battle stood on Maiden's Bower until 1569.[5][6]
Maiden's Bower was protected as a scheduled monument in 1926, and in 1990 Flass Vale was designated as a local wildlife site.
In 2023 geophysical and earthwork surveys were conducted at Maiden's Bower led by Durham University.[7]
References
- ^ a b "Maiden's Bower round cairn". Historic England. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
- ^ "Flass Vale - May Asset of the Month". The City of Durham Trust. June 8, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
- ^ "History of Flass Vale". Friends of Flass Vale. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
- ^ "English Heritage Battlefield Report: Neville's Cross 1346". Historic England. 1995. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ "When Scottish soldiers and English troops did battle". The Northern Echo. September 5, 2008. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
- ^ "Durham City Conservation Area: Character Area 3 - Crossgate" (PDF). Durham County Council. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
- ^ "Maiden's Bower, Flass Vale, Durham City: geophysical and earthwork surveys". Archaeology Data Service. February 23, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
