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. Despite some reduction in their heights through past cultivation, the two bowl barrows 70m north west and 50m south east of Tor View at Middle Taphouse survive well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to their construction, longevity, relative chronology, social organisation, territorial significance, funerary and ritual practices and overall landscape context.
Details
The monument, which falls into two areas of protection, includes two bowl barrows, situated on a prominent ridge, overlooking the valley of the River Fowey to the west of Middle Taphouse. The northern barrow survives as a circular mound measuring 18m in diameter and 0.6m high. The southern barrow survives as a circular mound measuring up to 31m in diameter and 3.5m high. The surrounding quarry ditches, from which material to construct the mounds was derived, are preserved as buried features.
Sources: HER:-
PastScape Monument No:-432632 and 432641
