Bowl barrow 230m west of The Grange, Beckhampton

Reasons for Designation

A small number of areas in southern England appear to have acted as foci for ceremonial and ritual activity during the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age periods. Two of the best known and earliest recognised, with references in the 17th century, are around Avebury and Stonehenge, now jointly designated as a World Heritage Site. In the Avebury area, the henge monument itself, the West Kennet Avenue, the Sanctuary, West Kennet long barrow, Windmill Hill causewayed enclosure and the enigmatic Silbury Hill are well-known. Whilst the other Neolithic long barrows, the many Bronze Age round barrows and other associated sites are less well-known, together they define one of the richest and most varied areas of Neolithic and Bronze Age ceremonial monuments in the country. 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, normally 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 and around 320 in the Avebury area. This group of monuments will provide important information on the development of this area during the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age periods. All surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.

Despite reduction by ploughing and partial excavation, the bowl barrow 230m west of The Grange will contain archaeological and environmental remains relating to the construction of the monument and the landscape in which it was built.

Details

The monument includes a Bronze Age bowl barrow located 230m west of The Grange, Beckhampton. The barrow is situated on an east-facing spur, overlooking the Long Stones long barrow and the Beckhampton round barrow cemetery, 1km to the east. The barrow has been reduced by cultivation over the years but survives as a visible mound 17m in diameter and up to 0.5m high. Surrounding the mound, but no longer visible at ground level, is a quarry ditch from which material was obtained during the construction of the monument. This survives as a buried feature c.3m wide. The barrow was partially excavated by Merewether during the 1800s and found to contain a Bronze Age cremation burial. Several fragments of Roman pottery (reported by Merewether to include samian ware) were discovered on the surface of the mound, indicating later activity on the site.

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.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

21733

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Grinsell, L V, The Victoria History of the County of Wiltshire, (1957)

Other
SU 06 NE 55, RCHM(E), West of the Grange - Avebury 19, (1973)
SU 06 NE 679, CAO, Bowl barrow excavated by Merewether, (1989)

End of official list entry

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