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.
Details
The monument includes the remains of a substantial bowl barrow situated below
the crest of a north facing slope. The barrow mound survives as a circular
mound 30m in diameter and stands to a height of 3.4m. The whole centre of the
mound has been hollowed out and a concrete and brick Second World War
observation post has been built into the mound. This is approached by a
concrete sided entrance gulley set into the east quarter. Although no longer
visible at ground level, a ditch, from which material was quarried during the
construction of the monument, surrounds the mound. This has become infilled
over the years around the north, east and west sides of the barrow and is
overlain by a side embankment of the Old Bath Road in the south. However it
still survives as a buried feature some 3m wide.
Finds made in the barrow when the pill-box was built included fragments of
human bone and fragments of shale and Bronze Age pottery, including an intact
beaker. The WWII observation post and concrete sided entrance gulley are
excluded from the scheduling although the ground beneath is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
19037
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
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
