Bell barrow 1200m west of Hill Copse, Wexcombe Down

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 evidence for partial excavation of the site, much of the Hill Copse bell barrow remains intact. The monument retains significant potential for the recovery of archaeological evidence for the nature and duration of use of the monument and the environment within which it was constructed. The significance of the monument is enhanced by the fact that numerous other burial monuments survive in the immediate area. Such groups of monuments give an indication of the intensity with which areas were settled during the Bronze Age period as well as the variety of beliefs and organisation present within society at that time.

Details

The monument includes a bell barrow set just above the floor of a dry valley in an area of undulating chalk downland. The barrow mound survives as an earthwork 3m high and 35m in diameter. A slight hollow on the centre of the mound suggests it may once have been partially excavated. Although no longer visible at ground level a berm c.2m wide and ditch surround the mound. The ditch, from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument, has filled in over the years and now survives as a buried feature c.3m wide.

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:

12257

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine in Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine, Vol. 49, (1942)

End of official list entry

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