Two bell barrows, two bowl barrows and a short length of field boundary south-east of The Noads

Reasons for Designation

Bell barrows, the most visually impressive form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating to the Early and Middle Bronze Age, with most examples belonging to the period 1500-1100 BC. They occur either in isolation or in round barrow cemeteries and were constructed as single or multiple mounds covering burials, often in pits, and surrounded by an enclosure ditch. The burials are frequently accompanied by weapons, personal ornaments and pottery and appear to be those of aristocratic individuals, usually men. Bell barrows (particularly multiple barrows) are rare nationally, with less than 250 known examples, most of which are in Wessex. Their richness in terms of grave goods provides evidence for chronological and cultural links amongst early prehistoric communities over most of southern and eastern England as well as providing an insight into their beliefs and social organisation. As a particularly rare form of round barrow, all identified bell barrows would normally be considered to be of national importance.

In addition to the bell barrows, the monument includes two bowl barrows. These are the most numerous form of round barrow; they 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. Their ubiquity and their tendency to occupy prominent locations makes them 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 organisation amongst early Prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection. Despite evidence for partial excavation, the group of barrows south-east of The Noads is important in view of the association between bowl and bell barrows, giving an indication of the nature of burial in this area during the Bronze Age period. Furthermore, the New Forest is known to have been important in terms of lowland Bronze Age occupation. A considerable amount of archaeological evidence has survived in this area because of a lack of agricultural activity, the result of later climatic deterioration, development of heath and the establishment of a Royal Forest.

Details

This monument includes two bell barrows, two bowl barrows and a short length of field boundary situated on lowland heath overlooking Flash Pond. All four barrows have at least one hollow in the centre of their mounds suggesting previous robbing or partial excavation. The southern bell barrow mound measures 25m in diameter and stands up to 2.6m high. Surrounding the mound is a level berm, surviving to an average width of 3.5m, a ditch, from which material was quarried during the construction of the barrow and an outer bank. The ditch has become partly infilled over the years but survives as a slight earthwork 3.5m wide and 0.75m deep; the bank is 4m wide and 0.15m high and survives only on the eastern edge of the ditch. The overall diameter of this barrow is 43m. Lying 7m to the north are two contiguous bowl barrows enclosed in a single oval ditch. The southern mound measures 28m in diameter and 1.7m high and the northern measures 26m in diameter and 2m high. The surrounding ditch measures 2m wide and 0.4m deep and is broken by a 4m wide causeway at the southern end. The northern bell barrow mound measures 21.5m in diameter and stands up to 1.5m high. Surrounding the mound is a berm which has an average width of 1.8m and a ditch which is 1.8m wide and 0.4m deep. The southern length of ditch overlaps with the ditch of the northern bowl barrow. The overall diameter of this barrow is 28.7m. These barrows lie within a relict field system of contemporary date and a boundary bank runs into the eastern edge of the oval ditch surrounding the bowl barrows.

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:

20266

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Grinsell, L V, Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club in Hampshire Barrows, (1938), 211
Grinsell, L V, Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club in Hampshire Barrows, (1938), 195

End of official list entry

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