A bell barrow and a saucer barrow 315m ESE of the unfinished hillfort on Ladle Hill

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.

To the west of the bell barrow is a saucer barrow. This is also a funerary monument of the Early Bronze Age, most examples dating to between 1800 and 2000 BC. Like bell barrows, they usually occur either in isolation or in barrow cemeteries. They were constructed as a circular area of level ground defined by a bank and internal ditch and largely occupied by a single low, squat mound covering one or more burials, usually in a pit. The burials, either inhumations or cremations, are sometimes accompanied by pottery vessels, tools and personal ornaments. Saucer barrows are one of the rarest recognised forms of round barrow, with about 60 known examples nationally, most of which are in Wessex. The presence of grave goods within the barrows provides important evidence for chronological and cultural links amongst prehistoric communities over a wide area of southern England, as well as providing an insight into their beliefs and social organisation. As a rare and fragile form of round barrow, all identified saucer barrows would normally be considered of national importance. Much of the archaeological landscape of Ladle Hill and the surrounding downs is preserved as earthworks or crop- or soil-marks, which together will provide a detailed understanding of the nature and development of early agriculture, land use and settlement on the north Hampshire downs. The bell and saucer barrows 315m ESE of the unfinished Iron Age hillfort are part of the wider distribution of monuments of Bronze Age and later date on Ladle Hill. The well preserved bell barrow and its infilled quarry ditch, together with the infilled ditch of the saucer barrow and features buried beneath its mound and outer bank will contain archaeological and environmental information relating to the construction and use of the monument.

Details

The monument includes a bell barrow and a levelled saucer barrow of Bronze Age date situated on Ladle Hill. The barrows are aligned west to east and are set close together, possibly with overlapping or shared ditches. They are situated on a slight slope c.315m ESE of the unfinished Iron Age hillfort on the summit of the hill. The bell barrow, the eastern of the two, has a mound c.19m in diameter and up to 1.6m high. The surface of the mound has a large hollow which may indicate the site of antiquarian excavation, of which there are no known records. Surrounding the mound are a berm and a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument. The ditch has become infilled over the years but survives as a buried feature, giving the barrow an overall diameter of c.32m. Prior to recent disturbance, the saucer barrow was described as being 24.4m in overall diameter and consisting of a central mound c.0.6m high surrounded by a ditch and outer bank. The mound and outer bank have been levelled and the ditch is now infilled and survives 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:

25613

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Grinsell, L V, Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club in Hampshire Barrows, Vol. 14 (2), (1938)

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