Barrow group 200m north-east of Woodman's Cross

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.

Despite cultivation and evidence for partial excavation of two of the mounds, the bowl barrows to the north-east of Woodman's Cross have survived well and will contain archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed. This group is one of several to survive locally and, as such, it will contribute to our understanding of Bronze Age settlement in the area.

Details

The monument includes four closely spaced bowl barrows situated on top of the west side of a sandy spur overlooking chalk downland. The barrow mounds are spaced between 20m and 30m of each other and vary between 20m and 28m in diameter and 0.4m and 1.5m in height. Although no longer visible at ground level, ditches, from which material was quarried during construction of the barrows, surround each of the mounds. These have become infilled over the years but survive as buried features up to 4m wide. Two of the barrows in this group were partially excavated in 1831. Finds included several ceramic urns containing burnt bones and ashes. The triangulation station on the south-western barrow is excluded from the scheduling, but the ground beneath 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:

21916

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
RCHME, , South-East part 3 in County of Dorset, Vol. Vol 2, (1970)

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