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.
Despite partial excavations of this monument at the end of the last century,
and the consequent loss of some of the archaeological integrity of the barrow,
including some of its burial contents, much of the monument survives
reasonably well. The barrow will retain further archaeological information,
including evidence of the manner in which it was constructed. Both the ditch
and the original buried land surface beneath the mound material will contain
archaeological and environmental information pertaining to the contemporary
environment and economy of the area.
Details
The monument includes a large round barrow located in a field on a low rise
known as Metlow Hill. The barrow is visible as a mound 28m in diameter.
Although somewhat reduced by ploughing, it is still well preserved and
survives to a maximum height of 1.5m. The mound is encircled by a ditch about
3m wide, which has become infilled through time and is now no longer visible
as an earthwork.
The barrow was excavated by Greenwell between 1877 and 1889 and was found to
contain the remains of a stone circle or cist, at the centre of which was a
woodlined grave containing the inhumation of a child about 5-6 years old and a
food vessel, whilst the mound material contained 15 flint scrapers, 3 knives,
3 saws, a broken leaf-shaped arrow point and 3 pottery sherds.
The modern post and wire fence crossing the west side of the monument is
excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath 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.
