Hob Hurst's House is a Bronze Age barrow on Beeley Moor near

Bakewell Bakewell is a market town and civil parish in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England, known also for its local Bakewell pudding. It lies on the River Wye, about 13 miles (21 km) south-west of Sheffield. In the 2011 census, ...

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

. It is unique in that instead of the normal round shape, Hob Hurst's barrow is rectangular. Originally made with 13 stones, only five remain today. It is situated on the highest part of Beeley Moor. It is in diameter and high, with a ditch and an external bank of diameter. There are numerous prehistoric mounds on these moors, many marking late Neolithic and early Bronze Age burial sites. Built by local families in their fields and open pastures to contain the bones of 'ancestors', the mounds were visible symbols of community sense of place. However Hob Hurst's House is unique with its square central mound, ditch and outer bank. Hob Hurst's House was one of the first monuments in Britain to be taken into state care, through the Ancient Monuments Protection Act of 1882. The stone bollards inscribed VR that surround the site were erected at that time. The curious name Hob Hurst's House refers to a mythical hobgoblin who haunted nearby woods.The information board at the site as reported on Geograph The barrow was excavated in 1853 by

Thomas Bateman Thomas Bateman (8 November 1821 (baptised) – 28 August 1861) was an English antiquary and barrow-digger. Biography Thomas Bateman was born in Rowsley, Derbyshire, England, the son of the amateur archaeologist William Bateman. After the deat ...

, the "Barrow Knight". The dig found a stone-lined grave containing some scorched human bones plus some lead ore. It is in the guardianship of

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...

and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The

Peak District Boundary Walk The Peak District Boundary Walk is a circular walking trail, starting and finishing at Buxton and broadly following the boundary of the Peak District, Britain's first national park. The route was developed by the Friends of the Peak District (a ...

runs alongside Gibbet Moor, past Hob Hurst's House and onto

Beeley Beeley is a village and civil parish in northern Derbyshire, England. Located near Bakewell in the Derbyshire Dales, it is situated on the B6012 road, between Rowsley and Edensor. The civil parish population at the 2011 Census was 195. It i ...

village.

References

External links

History on Hob Hurst House: English Heritage
Archaeological sites in Derbyshire Scheduled monuments in Derbyshire Buildings and structures in Derbyshire English Heritage sites in Derbyshire {{derbyshire-geo-stub