Mound in churchyard

Summary

Bowl barrow 165m south-east of Poughcombe Farm.

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. 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. Although much is already known regarding this barrow and its frequent periods of active re-use it will contain further archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, territorial significance, funerary and ritual practices, adaptive and actual re-use and overall landscape context.

History

See Details.

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 25 June 2015. This record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records. As such they do not yet have the full descriptions of their modernised counterparts available. Please contact us if you would like further information.

This monument includes a bowl barrow situated to the east of Ogbourne St Andrew church mainly within the churchyard and just above the floodplain in the valley of the River Og. The barrow survives as a circular mound measuring 23m in diameter and 1.6m high surrounded by a buried quarry ditch from which the construction material was derived. There is an excavation hollow in the centre. The subject of excavation by Henry Cunnington Jnr in 1885, the barrow produced a primary Bronze Age cremation, an intrusive Anglo-Saxon inhumation in a wooden coffin with metal clamps and as many as twenty medieval intrusive inhumations from its location and re-use in a churchyard. It has also been identified as a possible motte and it is thought was re-used as a windmill mound.

A 17th century chest tomb stands within the monument on its northern side and this is listed at Grade II.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

WI 199

Legacy System:

RSM - OCN

Sources

Other
PastScape 221486
Wiltshire HER SU17SE609

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