Bowl barrow 350m south-east of Egerton Church

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 barrow near Egerton Church survives well despite the limited damage caused by agricultural activities. It retains considerable archaeological potential and its well-preserved condition is rare, as most examples have been severely disturbed in this part of Kent.

Details

The monument includes a bowl barrow which comprises an earthen mound encircled by a now-infilled quarry ditch. The large and prominent mound measures 24m in diameter and stands to a maximum height of 2.5m above the level of the surrounding ground. The base of the mound has been truncated slightly but the mound appears to approximate closely to its original dimensions. The surrounding ditch has been completely infilled and is no longer visible. The mound and ditch together have a diameter of 29m.

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:

12836

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Darvill, T, Monument Class Description - Bowl barrows, 1988,
TQ 94 NE,

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