Bowl barrow on Acton Bank, 170m north of Acton House

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 being reduced by ploughing, the bowl barrow on Acton Bank remains a good example of its class. It will contain primary archaeological evidence relating to the construction of the barrow and its subsequent use. Environmental evidence relating to the landscape in which it was constructed will survive sealed beneath the mound and in the ditch fill. It is one of a group of similar monuments occurring in this vicinity and so contributes valuable information relating to the land use, social structure and burial practices of the prehistoric community occupying this area of landscape during the Bronze Age.

Details

The monument includes a bowl barrow located on a false crest towards the southern tip of Acton Bank Hill. The barrow is visible as a plough-spread mound 27m in diameter and 1.3m high on its northern upslope side and 2.5m high on its downslope south side. Although there is no visible evidence of the ditch from which material would have been quarried for the construction of the barrow, one will survive as a buried feature 2m wide surrounding the mound.

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:

19163

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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