Iron Age settlement in Wombwell Wood

Does anyone know anything about this?

There are obvious circular earthworks just up from Smithly Lane past the bridge and farm, and I was told as a kid it was a Celtic/Iron Age settlement, but the internet doesn’t seem to know much about it.

Unfortunately my grandad who told me this is no longer with us, so asking him now I’m older and more interested would be tricky.

 

I think there's a song about it:

 

biglil's the guy you want for that he's an arkey...arqy......... like an ex wife, always digging old 5h1t from the past up

 

It’s in Wombwell woods. Still a hive of activity. Ged. Andy. Tina tyke and others to name a few.

 

@JLWBigLil

 

Been somebody diggin for coil int strike

 

There's some stone carvings in there. But they have been subjected to graffiti and vandalism the more they are publicised.

 

https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/...-820b-4573-acf8-d5131b6ddd22&resourceID=19191

 

Your Granddad was right. There is a late Iron Age site there, a small one. I enquired a few years ago to see whether an excavation could be arranged, but was told it was highly unlikely as there'd been quite a bit of damage and vandalism to the site.
A bit sad really, I'd love to work on it if the opportunity arose.

 

Not another local dogging site?... Oh you said digging!

 

Apparently there are some Medieval charcoal manufacturing pits round there as well.

 

It's definitely there but the people that know about it are very protective because of the damage that it has sustained in the past. I don't recommend going looking without someone that knows about it.

 

interesting this, wonder if it was the earliest settlement around Barnsley area?





























?

 

Ah, now that I didn't know.

 

Not been up for a while but remember a distinct mound fenced with that useless, orange, plastic, council fencing. Guaranteed to invite people in, rather than keep them out.

 

they found a mummified tampax too, thats from the iron age period too

 

Probably not. There's quite a lot of archaeological evidence of sustained settlement in the area, stone age and onwards. Obviously, the further back you go the trickier it is as settlements were less permanent and less formal. But if you think about the natural resources on offer in the area and the geography of it - it will have been a convenient place to live.

 

this was found at an earlier dig

 

Folk round my way are like that over the remains of an old mansion. We all know where to look, what to see etc, but it is a secret amongst the locals as they don't want it desecrated any more than it is. Surprising really, as there is pretty much the square root of nothing left anyway!!
Built in 1867 by the famous Salt family, cursed, and in ruins by 1930. Was one of the finest country houses in Yorkshire, no expense spared.

 

Compared to some areas of the country, there is very little evidence of what is classified as Ancient Archaeology (pre Roman) in the area. That isn't to say it isn't there, just that very few settlement sites have been discovered. There is an archaeological mantra which states "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence".