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.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow set below the crest of a steep north-
facing escarpment known as Inkpen Hill. The barrow mound is 25m in diameter
and 1m high. The mound was built on a terrace cutting into the hillside and
the ditch, from which material was quarried during the construction of the
monument, is therefore visible only to the north where it survives as a low
earthwork 5m wide and 0.4m deep. A hollow in the centre of the mound suggests
that the site was partially excavated, probably in the 19th century. The
monument is part of a dispersed barrow cemetery comprising six barrows, all
within 200m of each other, set on and below the crest of Inkpen Hill.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
12228
Legacy System:
RSM
End of official list entry
