Bowl barrow 365m south west of Ubley Warren Farm

Overview

Location

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.

The bowl barrow 365m south west of Ubley Warren Farm survives well and contains archaeological and environmental information relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed. This is one of a concentration of round barrows occurring on the Mendips.

Details

The monument includes a bowl barrow situated on level ground 365m south-west of Ubley Warren Farm. The barrow has a mound 40m in diameter and c.2m high. This is a prominent feature in the local landscape and there are several historical references to the site which has been termed 'Stangbarrow', 'Stenebergh', 'Echenberwe' and 'Stonebarrow'. Surrounding the mound is a ditch c.3m wide from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument. This has become largely infilled over the years but survives as a slight earthwork on the east side of the mound and as a buried feature elsewhere. All fence posts and stone walls relating to field boundaries, are excluded from the scheduling, although the underlying ground is included.

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:

22806

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Grinsell, L, 'Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeology and Natural Hist Soc' in Somerset Barrows Part II, , Vol. 115, (1971), 67, 71
Other
Mention of flint finds, Tratman E K, Field Work 3 (1), PUBSS, (1927)

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 Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.