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 a bowl barrow situated on the crest of a gently sloping
east-facing slope.
The barrow, known as the Swell Wold round barrow, has a mound composed of
small stones 26m in diameter and c.2m high. This is surrounded by a ditch from
which material was quarried during the construction of the monument. This has
become partially infilled over the years, but remains visible as an earthwork
5m wide on the northern side of the monument, and survives as a buried feature
elsewhere.
Fragments of a Middle-Late Bronze Age urn and burnt bones were found in a
rabbit scrape on the barrow mound in 1935.
This monument forms one of a group of similar monuments known to occur
locally.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
22873
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
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
