Bell barrow north-west of Brooms 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 partial excavation of the Brooms Farm bell barrow, it survives comparatively well and has potential for the recovery of archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the landscape in which it was constructed.

Details

The monument includes a bell barrow situated on a chalk ridge running south from Treyford Hill. The barrow mound is 16m in diameter and stands to a height of c.2m. A hollow in the centre of the mound suggests that it was once partially excavated. Around the mound is a berm or sloping platform, which separates the mound from the enclosing ditch and varies between c.2m and 4m in width. To the north, east and west, the ditch, from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument, has become infilled and is no longer visible; to the south however it remains as a slight earthwork feature c.3m wide and 0.2m deep. Beyond the ditch to the south are the probable remains of an external bank 1m wide and 0.1m high. Excluded from the scheduling are a number of breeze blocks dumped onto the surface of the mound. The ground beneath them, however, is included.

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:

20010

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Title: West Sussex SMR Ordnance Survey SU81NW32 Source Date: 1970 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:

End of official list entry

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