Bowl barrow forming part of a round barrow cemetery and a long barrow, 500m north east of Eyford Hill Farm

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.

The long barrow 500m north east of Eyford Hill Farm survives comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed. The barrow is unusual in that it does not appear to have been excavated in the past. The monument forms part of a wider group of long barrows which are commonly referred to as the Cotswold Severn type, named after the area in which they occur. 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, and are 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. The bowl barrow 500m north east of Eyford Hill Farm survives comparatively well as part of a wider round barrow cemetery which is focussed around two nearby long barrows. The barrow will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed.

Details

The monument includes a long barrow and bowl barrow, the latter of which forms part of a wider round barrow cemetery. The barrows are situated on a north facing slope overlooking a dry valley to the north in an area of the Cotswold Hills. The long barrow, sometimes known as the Newclose long barrow, has a mound composed of small stones orientated from north east to south west. The mound has a maximum length of 56m and is 26m wide at the eastern end, 18m wide at the western end and has a maximum height of c.1m. Flanking the mound on either side is a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument. These have become infilled over the years, but survive as buried features c.5m wide. The long barrow is one of a pair known in the locality. It is intervisible with the second example and both long barrows occupy comparable hillside positions on either side of the intervening dry valley. The bowl barrow is situated to the south west of the long barrow and is sometimes known as the Newclose round barrow. It has a mound composed of small stones and has a maximum diameter of 22m and a maximum height of c.0.5m. This is surrounded by a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument. This has become infilled over the years, but survives as a buried feature c.2m wide. The bowl barrow forms part of a round barrow cemetery which is focussed around the two earlier long barrows situated nearby.

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:

22899

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Name of long barrow,
Name of the bowl barrow,

End of official list entry

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