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.
Details
The monument includes two adjacent bowl barrows aligned east-west and situated
on chalk downland above the Dorset coast. The barrows lie on the eastern
slope of a hill with views to the south over the sea and to the north over
Chaldon Down.
The eastern barrow mound measures 12m in diameter and is 1m high. The western
mound is 16.5m in diameter and 2m high. Each mound is surrounded by a ditch
from which material was quarried during its construction. These have become
infilled over the years and now only the ditch around the eastern mound can be
seen as a slight depression 0.75m deep and 1.5m wide. The ditch around the
western mound survives as a buried feature c.3m wide.
A central hollow in the eastern barrow mound suggests that it was once
partially excavated.
The post and wire fence which crosses the monument on its northern side is
excluded from the scheduling but the ground beneath is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
21952
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
