Bell barrow 160m north-west of Warren Lodge

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.

The Warren Lodge bell barrow is important as it survives well and, despite partial excavation of the site, has potential for the recovery of archaeological and environmental evidence.

Details

The monument includes a large bell barrow 160m NW of Warren Lodge. The mound survives to a maximum diameter of 30m and a height of c.3m. It is surrounded by a well-defined berm and ditch on all sides and an outer bank to the north and south. The berm has a maximum width of 8m while the ditch, from which mound material was quarried, survives to a width of 8m and a depth of up to 1m. The outer bank stands to a height of 0.5m and has an average width of 5m. The causeway on the NE side of the site is probably of recent origin. The site was partially excavated in 1967 although no details are known. The mound and ditch together have a diameter of 72m.

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:

12057

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Turner, T S, Berkshire Field Research Group Bulletin in Berkshire Field Research Group Bulletin, (1967)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

Print the official list entry