Reasons for Designation
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, 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.
Details
The monument includes a linear barrow cemetery orientated east-west which
consists of ten bowl barrows stretched out in a line over 200m long. The
cemetery is situated on a ridge in the Lower Greensand north of the South
Downs. All of the barrows survive as earthwork features and have mounds which
vary in size from 10m to 24m in diameter and are between 0.6m and 1.6m high.
The most westerly of the bowl barrows (SU 96021874) has a central barrow mound
which measures 13m in diameter and stands at a height of 1.2m. Surrounding
the mound is a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction
of the monument. This has become infilled over the years and is no longer
visible at ground level but survives as a buried feature c.3m wide. In the
centre of the mound is a hollow which suggests that the mound was once
partially excavated. The second barrow (SU 96041873), 15m to the south-east,
consists of a mound which measures 12m in diameter and 0.7m high. The
surrounding quarry ditch, as with all the barrows in the cemetery, is no
longer visible but survives as a buried feature, in this case c.3m wide. The
third barrow (SU 96061872) has one of the two largest mounds in the cemetery
and survives to a height of 1.6m with a diameter of 22m. The surrounding
ditch is c.3m wide. The central mound of the fourth barrow (SU 96071873)
measures 16m in diameter and 1.4m high around which the quarry ditch survives
as a buried feature c.3m wide. The north-western quadrant of the mound shows
evidence of disturbance which suggests that this area of the mound was once
partially excavated. The fifth barrow (SU 96101874) has a mound which
measures 15m in diameter and 1.5m high with a ditch c.3m wide. The sixth
barrow (SU 96121874) has a mound surviving to a height of 1.3m and is 16m in
diameter with a buried surrounding quarry ditch c.3m wide. The seventh barrow
(SU 96141875) has a barrow mound which is 20m in diameter and stands at a
height of 1.3m. The surrounding ditch is c.3m wide. There is a disturbance
in the east side of the mound which suggests that it was once partially
excavated. The eighth barrow (SU 96181876) is the smallest in the cemetery
and survives as a mound 0.6m high and 10m in diameter, with a ditch c.1m wide.
The ninth barrow (SU 96191876) has a mound the same size as the third and is
one of the two largest barrows in the cemetery. The mound measures 22m in
diameter and stands at a height of 1.6m, with a ditch c.3m wide. The tenth
and most easterly barrow in the cemetery (SU 96211875) has a mound which
measures 17m in diameter and stands at a height of 1.3m there is some slight
disturbance on the south side of the mound which suggests that this barrow was
also once partially excavated. The surrounding quarry ditch is c.3m wide.
Excluded from the scheduling are all fences and fence posts although the
ground beneath them is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
20031
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals 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
