Reasons for Designation
Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments
dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most
examples belonging to the period 2400-1500 BC. They were constructed as
earthen or rubble mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered single or multiple
burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as cemeteries and often
acted as a focus for burials in later periods. Often superficially similar,
although differing widely in size, they exhibit regional variations in form
and a diversity of burial practices. There are over 10,000 surviving bowl
barrows recorded nationally (many more have already been destroyed), occurring
across most of lowland Britain. Often occupying prominent locations, they are
a major historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable
variation of form and longevity as a monument type provide important
information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisations amongst early
prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period
and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of
protection.
The barrow 220m south of The Limes survives well as one of a pair of earthwork
barrows in an area where there are few upstanding earthworks of this period.
Archaeological information, including evidence concerning the construction of
the barrow and the duration and character of its use, will be contained in the
barrow mound, the soils buried beneath the mound and in the fill of the ditch.
Organic material, including evidence for the local environment at that time,
will also be preserved in the waterlogged lower fills of the ditch, which are
of particular interest because the survival of wet deposits in association
with monuments of this type is generally rare . The evidence for later
cultivation, represented by the build up of soil into a ridge on the north and
east sides of the monument, is also of interest in that it respects the
barrow and shows that the mound remained a feature in the later agricultural
use of the area. The relationship of this barrow to the second barrow
immediately to the north west (the subject of a separate scheduling) will add
significantly to the interest of the site.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow situated immediately to the east of the
Billingborough Road. The barrow is visible as an earthen mound, covering a
circular area approximately 27m in diameter and standing to a height of
approximately 2m. The mound is encircled by a ditch approximately 4m wide at
the top and 1.5m deep, which has become infilled and is now partly covered by
the spread of earth from the mound, but which survives as a buried feature.
Borehole samples taken of the ditch fill have shown that the lowest levels are
waterlogged.
Later cultivation around the barrow has caused a build up of soil on the north
and east sides of the ditch, forming a slight ridge and giving the outer
margins of the barrow in this area the appearance of a rectilinear rather than
a circular form. This later ridge is included in the scheduling.
The field boundary which adjoins the barrow on the west side, and enclosure
fences on the east side are excluded from the scheduling.
MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.
