Two bowl barrows on Long Hill

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 limited tree root damage and some evidence of partial excavation, the
two bowl barrows on Long Hill survive well and contain archaeological
remains and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape
in which it was constructed.

Details

The monument includes two bowl barrows, aligned north-west to south-east,
situated on a south-facing rise on the Lower Greensand. The northern barrow
comprises a mound 22m in diameter and 2m high with a surrounding ditch from
which material was quarried during the construction of the monument. This is
no longer visible at ground level, having become infilled over the years, but
survives as a buried feature c.3m wide. The second barrow, less than 20m to
the south-east, has a mound 16m in diameter and 1.1m high with a slight
central hollow suggesting that the barrow was once partially excavated. This
too is surrounded by a quarry ditch which survives as a buried feature c.2.5m
wide.

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.


This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 25 October 2022 to amend the name

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

20150

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Grinsell, L V, Surrey Archaeological Collections in An Analysis And List Of Surrey Barrows, Vol. 42, (1934)

End of official list entry

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