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 bowl barrow on Lodge Hill is very well preserved. Despite some minor
disturbance to the central area of the mound, the barrow is largely unaltered.
Funerary remains will survive undisturbed within and below the mound allowing
valuable insights into early burial practices and the beliefs of the community
which constructed the monument. The former ground surface which lies buried
beneath the mound will retain evidence for the character of the surrounding
area at the time it was built.
The position of the Lodge Hill bowl barrow within a wider group of similar
barrows is of particular interest. Together, these monuments provide
information concerning the variation and development of prehistoric burial
practices, and the distribution of early settlement in the Chiltern Hills.
Details
The monument includes a small, well preserved Bronze Age bowl barrow situated
near the summit of Lodge Hill, a prominent knoll rising from the valley floor
between Bledlow Ridge and Hemley Hill.
The circular mound has a diameter of c.14m and stands to a height of 0.8m.
There is no evidence for an encircling quarry ditch, and it is thought that
the mound was created by gathering turf and soil from the surrounding
hillside. The barrow forms part of an extensive group of similar monuments
extending along the valley to the south west as far as Bradenham, and
including two bell barrows located on the northern side of Lodge Hill, some
500m to the north west. This alignment is thought to reflect the route of a
prehistoric trackway traversing the valley floor to the west of Lodge Hill and
leading towards Wain Hill on the northern edge of the Chiltern escarpment. It
is probably no coincidence that later settlements flank this route, including
an Iron Age settlement on the southern slopes of Lodge Hill and a Roman villa
some 700m further to the south (both the subject of separate schedulings).
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.
