Irby Upon Humber ~ Earthworks ~ Archaeology & History
Irby Upon Humber ~ Earthworks and Archaeology.
Today I went on quite a ramble which took in the church, village, footpaths, bridle paths and Irby Dales Wood.
As well as recording the church I also sought out the earthworks listed on the OS map - another cracking day out !
There is some quite spectacular scenery in the area, especially so on the walk to Irby Dales Wood. Very hilly in parts and very much out-of-character with the landscape most associate with rural Lincolnshire.
It takes you quite by surprise and looks really quite magical and mysterious. Upon returning home it seems I wasn’t the only person enchanted with the area as ancient tradition holds that it is a Kingdom of Elves and Fairies with stories dating back to medieval times !
The public access walk crosses private land but the pathway is superbly well kept and there is is no need to stray. If you go check out the huge and surely ancient oak (I think) tree at the bottom of the dip just as you enter the wood via the bridle path - how long has it stood there and what has it seen ?
The weather was lovely but I didn’t see another soul, where are people - don’t they know what they’re missing.
For a change I took a picnic along with me in order to keep body and soul together as I seem to be getting desperately hungry on some of these days out - probably something to do with walking for 4 or 5 hours 
The earthworks are on the other side of the A46, they took a little finding though they are alongside a public access path.
That said, I had to take a slight liberty to get a picture of the earthworks, though I did so very carefully, without causing damage and with respect.
The picture shows you pretty much all there is to see so I don’t recommend you visit personally.
This was taken stood atop of the actual ridge and looks down into the hollow, the mere is directly to the right
It is quite a high embankment, probably the most obvious site I have visited so far in fact, much grown over now (I can feel all the stings as I type this) with a mere to the bottom.
It is very close to Welbeck Hill where archaeologists found an Anglo-Saxon bucket and also an Anglo-Saxon burial I believe.
The area is clearly very historic and bears much further investigation in order to flesh this article out.
I did find mention of a medieval village and also digs which unearthed Roman coins and pottery.
1896 Map
The village is recorded in the Domesday Book under the name Irebi
I hope to establish just what the earthworks actually were, or were believed to be, and will amend the article accordingly.
[Later Same Day Addition] After much digging (groan) I don’t seem to be able to pin down exactly what was going on in the area
If anybody out there has any information on the area please do leave a comment and secure the knowledge for posterity - not to mention mine and others interest
Stingingly Yours
Rod
See Also Irby Village Visitors Guide and Irby Dales
Little Brother said,
July 28, 2009 @ 8:55 pm
Rod,
Is there a place called Irby Top? is it one and the same or am I getting it mixed up with somewhere else?
Nice wrk.
LB
Rod said,
July 29, 2009 @ 8:35 am
LB
I think it’s the same place/area, probably just ‘known locally as’ I’m guessing as there’s no mention of i ton the OS map
Cheers
Rod
chris keyworth said,
July 31, 2009 @ 9:24 pm
OK here we go…..
Wellbeck hill Anglo Saxon Cemetery..G Tayloy 1962
72 inhumatiuons 5 cremations were recovered in 1976 along with a vast amount of Burial Good ranging from spear heads to Broaches all found on the hill top. TA 217 042
Irby Village, Moated site Reputed to be the site of the Holles Family. More Likley the site of a Civil war Encampment
TA 212 043
Irby Village Eathworks, SMV a topograpical survey of Irby dated 1984, indicates several Toft Bounderies house platforms ponds but no known Moated site. ( shrunken medieval village)
Irby Village.. There has been a Roman Villa Found at Grid TA 192 050
there is verry little itself known about Irby
however a good lead for you Rod is a book called Change and Continuity in South Humberside they have it at Grimsby Library tis will answer some Questions for you, its a long time since i read this book last and i am unsure what it says about Irby.
Regards
Chris
Rod said,
August 1, 2009 @ 8:25 am
Hi Chris,
this is fantastic stuff - I have to say I am getting fascinated by earthworks.
I see that uneven field now that seems to have a ‘different kind of grass’ almost - you just seem to get the feel for them and then when I stumble across something on a wlak that’s not mentioned on the OS . . . !
Brilliant info Chris - many thanks
Rod
Hugh said,
September 6, 2009 @ 1:26 pm
The earthwork is a civil war earthwork fort, complete with bastillions on each corner for cannons. It is reputed to be a medieval moated manorial site as well but there is no evidence to link the documentary evidence of the moat to the earthwork; the Holles family moat was much more likely to be in the centre of the village, in fact the “pond” near the church may well be a badly mutilated medieval moat.
Amiguru said,
September 12, 2009 @ 10:13 am
Thank goodness I happened to hit upon your site Rod! I’m being enabled to vent 30 years of I’mmissingLincolnshireitis.
Welbeck Hill - I was on that dig with Gordon Taylor et alia. One of the guys used to come and pick me up on his Harley and what an exhilerating ride that was - taking Little London crossing at about 85mph with no crash helmets!
I wonder if there is anything left of the lightning tree up on Welbeck? It was right on the crest of the hill in the field boundary and had taken several strikes up to the time I was there. Perhaps it was a sign from the Anglo-Saxon gods
I well remember being up there one Christmas Eve day and having taken a 6 ft. grid down to about 18 inches, it started to snow but we carried on for a while until it became a blizzard. Trowelling became impossible as the surface was disappearing as fast as we cleared it. At this point Gordon revealed that he had brought along a bottle of whisky to augment our usual flasks of coffee. Imagine the scene - four bundles of coats, scarves and bobble-hats sat in a Saxon grave on top of a lonely hill, singing and swapping yarns with snow swirling around and the light rapidly fading. I’m not sure how I got home that day but it is a treasured memory.
Rod said,
September 12, 2009 @ 11:52 am
Neville
I’mmissingLincolnshireitis it’s a serious complaint for which there’s only one remedy !
Come back !
Going through Lincs on a Harley to take part in a dig - could life be any better ?
Imagine the scene - four bundles of coats, scarves and bobble-hats sat in a Saxon grave on top of a lonely hill
I am imgainging it Neville and it sounds marvellous to me !
Best
Rod
See also Irby Dales
Pete Fannon said,
October 9, 2009 @ 11:28 am
I spent many happy hours working with Gordon Taylor excavating Welbeck between 1966-1972 - I especially remember the craic with the various “Diggers” and lunchtimes spent in the Ship in nearby Barnolby le Beck.
Happy Days !!!!!!!!!
Regards……………… Pete
Rod said,
October 9, 2009 @ 12:45 pm
Pete,
I’m extremely jealous !
Welcome to the site and I hope you’ll return
All the best
Rod
craig said,
March 10, 2010 @ 8:44 pm
for you who know Gordon he is a member of
NELALHS
www.nelalhs.co.uk
Rod said,
March 11, 2010 @ 8:35 am
Hi Craig,
many thanks for the pointer - very interesting indeed.
Much appreciated and welcome to the site - hope you’ll return
All the best
Rod
craig said,
March 13, 2010 @ 8:43 pm
No problem,,NELALHS is open to anyone with a local interest in history just come along to one of our meetings,,,,,,,
chris keyworth said,
March 13, 2010 @ 8:55 pm
might be worth a visit to the NELALHS meeting Rod i believe they meet at the Grimsby Library, let me know if you fancey going Rod and i will meet you there
Regards
Chris
Rod said,
March 14, 2010 @ 8:11 am
Craig & Chris,
I think I really must go don’t you ?
Best
Rod
Dee said,
May 6, 2010 @ 7:15 pm
Irby - my fiends and I regularly walk the 5-6 mile walk round and through the woods, a super place and a hidden gem as many locals do not know it is there. You can extend the walk and carry on through Swallow and up through the chalk pit though another wood and drop back into Irby top. However not for the faint hearted!. We have had several experiences of supernatural happenings- each time ‘jumping out of our skins’ and turning to find nothing there. Last nights experience was a loud ’swushing’ sound, we both turned and felt somthing pass between us. Other times I have felt something/someone tap my shoulder, but again there is no one there. Spooky! A bit of internet research and I found the following:
The Irby Boggle*
At Irby it is said that each year, on the spot where a young girl was murdered in 1455, her ghost appears.
It seems that in November of that year, on the evening before their wedding, she and her future husband disappeared whilst on a walk. The intended husband returned two years later, saying the couple had quarrelled whilst on the walk and he had assumed the girl had returned home.
Although the villagers heard screams from the surrounding woods on the night the couple disappeared nothing was ever proved against the young man. However, some years later bones were discovered by workmen which were confirmed as those of a young woman.
Regards
Dee (Grimsby)
Rod said,
May 6, 2010 @ 8:20 pm
Dee
fantastic comment - many thanks indeed and welcome to the site - hope you’ll return.
Love the spooky stuff - I’ll look into the legend and write it up separately - thanks fo rthe tip off
Is this were you walk Dee ?
http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/irby-dales-walking-in-lincolnshire-lost-to-the-world
I love the whole area - absolutely superb
All the best
Rod
Dee said,
May 7, 2010 @ 8:16 pm
Hi
Yes, that is correct. I will ‘walk you through it ‘(so to speak) - the steep hill down to the right (foot of your photo), turn right through the wood, turn left steeply through the wood and you would come out at top on the hill, then down, turn right, right again up to the wood in the distance on your photo, left again coming out and down on the other side, which you cannot see top left of your picture. You can either turn left and back towards the forground of your picture, (about 5-6miles) or turn right, cross the A46 and drop into Swallow villiage, right at the crossroads, back and cross the A46 again going straight over keeping on the road for about a mile, turn right and left through the gate and chalk ‘pit’, through the wood, right again up the hill and across the field to join Irby woods once again (about 10 miles).
Bye the way, the girl I mentioned in my previous email was Rosamund Avy.
Regards
Dee
Rod said,
May 8, 2010 @ 9:44 am
Dee,
fabulous - many thanks. Your comment inspired me because that’s where I went yesterday morning.
It’s a spectacular place
Best wishes
Rod
Snapperbri said,
March 6, 2011 @ 12:20 pm
I also went up to Welbeck as a schoolboy in the mid 60’s…only a Saturday as I remember….with my mate Andrew Farrow. We helped in a fashion….amazing site…and also remember seeing a black dog on top of the hill looking down at us. Someone mentioned an old legend about a black dog being an unlucky anglo saxon type of curse if you saw it….probably one of the older fellas trying to put the wind up us ….Often go up there and look, take my grandkids and tell them about skeletons and black dogs…..magical!!
Rod said,
March 6, 2011 @ 6:35 pm
Snapperbri,
thanks for taking the time to comment and welcome to the site - hope you’ll return
Regards
Rod
Helen said,
July 25, 2011 @ 2:38 pm
Can anybody shed some light on an old Irby address for me. My great grandparents lived at 39 Irby Dales in 1880 but there is no sign of any cottages now. Does anybody know where they might have been?
Rod said,
July 25, 2011 @ 7:06 pm
HI Helen,
thanks for the comment and welcome to the site - I can’t personally but perhaps somebody else may be able to if they see it
Regards
Rod
History Hunter said,
July 26, 2011 @ 7:26 am
Helen,
It is an ‘Old Maps’ (from 1887) overlay on GE, but it doesnt show any cottages, unless they were either on the farm that is shown on the map that is still there nowadays, OR cottages may have been destroyed to make way for the farmstead, considering they lived at Number 39, that means a large number of cottages have disappeared.
According to a few of the later maps, that is the only area actually IN Irby Upon Humber that is known as Irby Dales, so it could only have been in the immediate area.
Hope this helps.
Rod said,
July 26, 2011 @ 7:27 am
HH,
fantastic job - as always of course.
Very interetsing and much appreciated
All the best
Rod
Helen said,
July 26, 2011 @ 4:51 pm
Thank you! I came to Irby last week to see my great great grandparents gravestone and have a wander. It’s a beautiful place and it was quite moving to be there after all my research about them.
Thanks again for your help.
Helen
History Hunter said,
July 26, 2011 @ 5:36 pm
I have since found out that the farm has been in situ since, at latest 1855, maybe even earlier as there is a listed building on site, which is part of the main farm buildings. It has a date plaque on it stating the year.
If that is the case then I would be swayed towards thinking that there used to be workers cottages/lodgings on site, which in time have all been knocked down in order for the farm to expand.
manda said,
July 29, 2011 @ 10:31 am
hi. this page is fantastic. thanks to all you guys out there that have taken time out to add to it. will certainly visit this village. and take along my faithful friend (my dog). can anyone tell me more about nelalhs ta.
Rod said,
July 29, 2011 @ 11:09 am
Hi Manda,
many thanks and welcome to the site - hope you’ll return
Best wishes
Rod
Rod said,
November 27, 2011 @ 8:41 am
Map added to original article, courtesy of Neville
Paula bruinsma said,
January 10, 2012 @ 10:11 pm
after reading all this, im am even more excited about moving to our cottage in irby in just 2 weeks time,i will certainly be doing the walks,and searching for more interesting facts from the locals!! the churchyard is first on my list of things to do!!!! xxx
Rod said,
January 11, 2012 @ 7:54 am
Paula,
thanks for the comment and welcome to the site - you’ve got fantastic countryside and bucket loads of history on your doorstep - it’s a great spot, I can’t see how you could ever regret movig there.
All the best
Rod