Bowl barrow on West Rudham Common, 1250m east of the Grange

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.

The bowl barrow 1250m east of the Grange survives well and archaeological information concerning its construction and the manner and duration of its use, as well as evidence for the local environment at that time, will be contained in the mound and in soils buried beneath the mound. The monument has additional interest and importance as one of a group, including not only the two adjacent bowl barrows and another c.550m to the south, but other surviving Bronze Age and Neolithic barrows more widely dispersed to the south west, over a distance of c.2.6km. As a group, these barrows provide evidence for the character and development of the prehistoric population of the area.

Details

The monument includes a bowl barrow which is one of a group of three located close to the eastern boundary of West Rudham parish. The barrow stands above a gentle, south west facing slope and is visible as a flat-topped earthen mound up c.0.9m in height and covering a circular area c.32m in diameter. It is thought that the mound is encircled by a ditch as are the other two barrows of the group, lying c.90m to the north east. This has become infilled and is no longer visible on the ground surface, but will survive as a buried feature.

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:

21347

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
3626: West Norfolk, West Rudham,

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