Reasons for Designation
Long barrows were constructed as earthen or drystone mounds with flanking
ditches and acted as funerary monuments during the Early and Middle Neolithic
periods (3400-2400 BC). They represent the burial places of Britain's early
farming communities and, as such, are amongst the oldest field monuments
surviving visibly in the present landscape. Where investigated, long barrows
appear to have been used for communal burial, often with only parts of the
human remains having been selected for interment. Certain sites provide
evidence for several phases of funerary monument preceding the barrow and,
consequently, it is probable that long barrows acted as important ritual sites
for local communities over a considerable period of time. Some 500 long
barrows are recorded in England. As one of the few types of Neolithic
structure to survive as earthworks, and due to their comparative rarity, their
considerable age and their longevity as a monument type, all long barrows are
considered to be nationally important.
Details
The monument includes a chambered long barrow situated on a plateau in the
area of the Cotswold Hills with views over the Avening Valley to the south,
gently sloping land to the north and the adjacent ridge to the south-east.
The barrow, which is known as Norn`s Tump, has a mound trapezoidal in plan and
orientated east-west; it has dimensions of 52m from east to west and 25m from
north to south. The mound is composed of small stones and has a maximum height
near to the centre of 2.5m.
An early illustration of the barrow suggests that it had two side chambers,
both of which were visible in 1911. There are two large depressions on the
southern side of the barrow`s mound which could mark the position of these
chambers.
The mound is flanked on each side by a ditch from which material was
quarried during the construction of the monument. These have become infilled
over the years, but will survive as buried features c.5m wide.
Excluded from the scheduling are all hedges, dry-stone walling and fence posts
relating to the land boundaries, although the ground beneath these features is
included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
22864
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
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
