Gazetteer of
British Place Names

Jeppe Knave Grave is a prehistoric cairn on Wiswell Moor above Sabden in Lancashire. The circular-shaped cairn is about 50 feet in diameter and it’s stone filled hollow in the middle is 16 feet by 10 feet. An outer ring of stones, which vary in size can be made out amongst the grass, but it is not particularly circular. Some larger stones make up the cairn itself but are in a somewhat tumbled and mutilated state. Some historians believe this was originally a chambered tomb of the Neolithic Age, though in fact it probably dates from the Bronze-Age. According to the legend, Jeppe Curteys (Geoffrey Curtis), a highwayman was hanged for his crimes of robbery in 1327, and was subsequently buried here at this solitary spot. The word 'knave' is usually taken to mean ‘a wrong doer’, but it could also be the Norse word for a boy, youth or servant. The suggestion is that is much more likely to be an earlier prehistoric or Dark-Age burial site for some noble chieftain, and so pre-dating the highwayman by a few thousand years. But, we may never really know the true answer with regard to this ancient site. It is within the council area of Ribble Valley (Lancashire).

Place Type: Prehistoric Monument
Historic County: Lancashire
Lat, Long: 53.836046,-2.366317
Grid Reference: SD 7599 3781
Civil Parish: Wiswell CP
Council Area: Ribble Valley CA (Lancashire CA)
Strategic Authority Area: Lancashire SA
Police Area: Lancashire PA

GBPN ID: 302637
Entry Type: Main listing (P)
URL: https://gazetteer.org.uk/place/Jeppe_Knave_Grave,_Lancashire_302637

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