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.
Saucer barrows are one of the rarest recognised forms of round barrow, with
about 60 known examples nationally. They take the form of a circular area
of level ground defined by a bank and internal ditch and largely occupied by a
single low, squat mound. Of Early Bronze Age date, most examples were
constructed between 1800 and 1200 BC.
Bowl barrows are the most numerous form of round barrow and date from the Late
Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age. Most examples were constructed in the
period 2400-1500 BC. They occur across most of lowland Britain and, although
superficially similar in appearance, exhibit regional variations of form and a
diversity of burial practices.
Barrow fields are groups of between 5 and 300 small round mounds constructed
over burials of early medieval date. Only around 40 examples are known
nationally. Most barrow fields date to the pagan Anglo-Saxon period between AD
500 and 700, with the majority located in south east England, especially
Sussex and Kent. Like Bronze Age barrow cemeteries, Anglo-Saxon barrow fields
are sometimes associated with `flat' graves between or around the barrows, or
on the edge of the barrow field.
Despite evidence of partial excavation, the barrows of Plumpton Plain round
barrow cemetery and the Anglo-Saxon barrow field south east of Warningore
Bostall survive in good condition and will contain archaeological remains and
environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it
was constructed.
Details
The monument includes a pair of saucer barrows and four bowl barrows, forming
the eastern end of a Bronze Age linear round barrow cemetery, and an
Anglo-Saxon barrow field including five small, bowl-shaped grave mounds. The
linear barrow cemetery runs from east to west along a ridge of the Sussex
Downs. The Anglo-Saxon grave mounds, constructed many centuries after the
linear barrow cemetery, are clustered around the larger, earlier barrows.
The two saucer barrows are situated immediately adjacent to each other and
have circular mounds 7m in diameter and 0.6m high. A hollow in the centre of
each mound suggests that the barrows may have been partially excavated.
Surrounding the mounds are shallow ditches which are in turn encircled by
residual low banks of a maximum height of 0.15m. The form of each of these
barrows resembles an upturned saucer.
Three of the Bronze Age bowl barrows have circular mounds between 6m and 9m in
diameter and c.0.5m high. Each has a central hollow indicating partial
excavation. The mounds are surrounded by ditches from which material used in
their construction was excavated. Although these are no longer visible at
ground level, having become infilled over the years, they survive as buried
features c.2m wide. The most westerly bowl barrow has been partly damaged by
the deep groove of Warningore Bostall, an old Downland track that crosses the
ridge on the western edge of the barrow. The fourth bowl barrow is almost egg-
shaped, measuring 7m by 6m and 0.5m high, orientated north east to south west.
This barrow also has a central hollow, indicating some possible excavation,
and a buried quarry ditch c.1.5m wide.
The Anglo-Saxon graves have low, circular earthen mounds between 4m and 6m in
diameter and c.0.3m high. Most show signs of partial excavation in the form of
slight central hollows, and have buried quarry ditches c.1m wide.
MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
