Bell barrow 650m south-west of Uphill Farm

Reasons for Designation

Bell barrows, the most visually impressive form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating to the Early and Middle Bronze Age, with most examples belonging to the period 1500-1100 BC. They occur either in isolation or in round barrow cemeteries and were constructed as single or multiple mounds covering burials, often in pits, and surrounded by an enclosure ditch. The burials are frequently accompanied by weapons, personal ornaments and pottery and appear to be those of aristocratic individuals, usually men. Bell barrows (particularly multiple barrows) are rare nationally, with less than 250 known examples, most of which are in Wessex. Their richness in terms of grave goods provides evidence for chronological and cultural links amongst early prehistoric communities over most of southern and eastern England as well as providing an insight into their beliefs and social organisation. As a particularly rare form of round barrow, all identified bell barrows would normally be considered to be of national importance.

Despite the possibility of partial excavations, the bell barrow 650m south-west of Uphill Farm survives well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the coastal landscape in which it was constructed.

Details

The monument includes a bell barrow situated on a spur overlooking the estuary of the River Axe, 650m south-west of Uphill Farm. The barrow has a mound 13m in diameter and c.1.8m high surrounded by a gently sloping berm or platform c.3m wide and c.0.2m above ground level. Surrounding the berm is a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument. This has become infilled over the years but survives as a buried feature c.2m wide. The barrow may have been partially excavated by the Reverend Skinner and a Mr Crocker during 1819. Finds including an inscribed bronze ring, four bronze buttons and ten glass beads are also thought to have been recovered from this barrow in 1826 by the Reverend David Williams. These finds are now held in Glastonbury Museum.

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:

22835

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Mention of excavations at the site,
Mention of artefacts from the site,

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