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, a round barrow, is situated in a low lying position beside
Pen-y-ghent Gill. It includes a nearly circular, turf covered stone bank 2.4m
wide and in places up to 0.6m high, surrounding a much disturbed area of
mounds and hollows. At the west end of the monument there is a smaller bank
roughly in the form of a circular arc extending a further 9m. The northern,
southern and western sides of a stone lined burial cist are still visible at
the north east end of the site. The present form of the site owes much to the
various excavations which have taken place on it, leaving behind hollows and
irregular mounds of soil. The north east area of the site was excavated in
1936 by W Bennett who discovered a number of human burials around the cist
area. At the west end of the monument are two large stones, 0.8m long and
slightly overlapping, probably part of a chamber wall. The ground around them
had been excavated at some time during the early 19th century and the hole
partially refilled with boulders.
The modern field walls are excluded from the scheduling although the ground
beneath them is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
24491
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
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
