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 and associated, underlying mound in Old Fen survive well. The
earthen mounds and the fill of the surrounding ditch will retain
archaeological information concerning their construction, the duration and
manner of their use, and the chronological, structural and functional
relationship between them. Evidence for the local environment prior to and
during that time will also be preserved in the buried soil beneath the mound
and in the ditch fill. The monument lies c.360m north east of another bowl
barrow and the two are among a small number of round barrows sited near the
low escarpment of the Greensand Belt, overlooking the eastern edge of the Fens
and the marshes bordering the Wash to the west. As a group, these barrows
provide some evidence for the character and density of prehistoric settlement
in the area.
Details
The monument, which is located on level ground on the southern side of the
valley of Babingley River, includes the composite earthwork of a bowl barrow
and a contiguous low mound, considered to be the remains of an earlier,
smaller barrow. The bowl barrow is visible as an earthen mound covering a
circular area c.17m in diameter and standing to a height of c.1.5m. It
overlaps and incorporates part of the smaller mound, which extends c.9m beyond
it on the north side and measures c.0.5m in height and c.13m across east-west.
The two mounds, which together are ovoid in plan, tapering towards the
northern end, are surrounded by a ditch which has become infilled and is no
longer visible, although it will survive as a buried feature c.3m wide. The
overall dimensions of the two mounds and the ditch are 23m east-west by 32m
north-south.
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.
