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. Their ubiquity and their tendency to occupy
prominent locations makes them 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 organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are
particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion
of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.
Details
This is the northernmost of the six similar examples in West Wood. The
monument includes a barrow which comprises an earthen mound and an
encircling ditch. The mound measures some 20m in diameter and stands to
a maximum height of 1.4m. The surrounding ditch has been completely
infilled by material eroded from the mound and is no longer visible on
the surface, but it would originally have provided the earth with which
the mound was constructed. The wire-mesh fence over the northern side of
the mound is excluded from the scheduling.
The mound and ditch together have a diameter of 30m.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
12812
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
