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 greater part of the barrow 305m south of Fen Cottage survives well and
retains important archaeological information, despite having undergone some
disturbance from past exploration in the north-western side of the mound.
Evidence concerning the construction of the barrow, the manner and duration of
its use, and the local environment, at and prior to the time of its
construction, will be contained in the mound and in the soils buried beneath
it.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow situated on low-lying heathland to the
west of Westwood Marshes. It is visible as an earthen mound standing to a
height of c.1m and covering a sub-circular area which measures 22m east-west
by 25m north-south. In the north-western edge of the mound, a crescent-shaped
hollow, measuring 9m by 6m, marks the site of an exploration, probably carried
out early in the 19th century. The northern side of the mound, the original
diameter of which was about 22m, has been extended c.3m by upcast from this
excavation.
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.
