Reasons for Designation
Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They comprise
closely-spaced groups of up to 30 round barrows - rubble or earthen mounds
covering single or multiple burials. Most cemeteries developed over a
considerable period of time, often many centuries, and in some cases acted as
a focus for burials as late as the early medieval period. They exhibit
considerable diversity of burial rite, plan and form, frequently including
several different types of round barrow, occasionally associated with earlier
long barrows. Where large scale investigation has been undertaken around them,
contemporary or later "flat" burials between the barrow mounds have often been
revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland Britain, with a
marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases, they are clustered around other
important contemporary monuments such as henges. Often occupying prominent
locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape, whilst
their diversity and their longevity as a monument type provide important
information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early
prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period
and a substantial proportion of surviving or partly-surviving examples are
considered worthy of protection.
Two of the four bowl barrows 30m south-east of Tilford Barrows survive
comparatively well and contain archaeological remains and environmental
information relating to both the monument and the landscape in which they were
constructed. The two other barrows, although only partially preserved, are an
integral part of the round barrow cemetery and are essential to the
understanding of the monument which, as a whole, gives an insight into the
nature and scale of human population in the area during the Bronze Age period.
Details
The monument includes four bowl barrows aligned NNE-SSW and situated on a
gentle south-facing slope above a steep scarp in the Lower Greensand. These
barrows are part of a linear round barrow cemetery, made up of five bowl
barrows, of which three survive as earthworks and two as buried features. The
northern of the four barrows comprises below ground remains which include a
ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the mound.
This has since become infilled but survives as a buried feature c.1.5m wide
defining a barrow with an overall external diameter of c.15m. Central pits or
deposits are also likely to be preserved below the surface. To the south are
the two central barrows of the group, both of which survive as upstanding
earthworks. The northern of these comprises a central mound 12m in diameter
and 0.5m high, surrounded by a ditch which survives as a buried feature c.1.5m
wide. The southern barrow of this central pair survives as a mound 10m wide
and 0.5m high with a surrounding quarry ditch existing as a buried feature
c.1.5m wide. The most southerly of the group of four barrows comprises below
ground remains which include a surrounding ditch which has become infilled,
and survives as a buried feature c.1.5m wide and defines an overall area of
c.15m across.
The cemetery was partially excavated in 1870 by Reverend Charles Kerry, a
local antiquarian. He excavated three of the five barrows. Few details are
known and only a flint flake is recorded. Neither of the two upstanding
barrows were excavated as Kerry believed that they had already suffered some
disturbance.
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.
