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 situated 150m west of Peddars Way, on
former heathland near the western edge of the Good Sands upland region of
north west Norfolk. The barrow, which is one of a dispersed group of round
barrows aligned on a north west to south east axis over a distance of c.2.6km,
is visible as an earthen mound standing to a height of c.1m and covering a
roughly circular area c.33m in diameter. The mound is thought to be surrounded
by a ditch from which earth was dug and used in the construction of the
barrow, and although this has become infilled and can no longer be traced on
the ground surface, it will survive as a buried feature. The estimated overall
diameter of the barrow including the ditch is c.43m. The date and character
of the barrow have been confirmed by the finding of fragments of Bronze Age
pottery in the course of a limited excavation carried out in 1948.
The barrow has been identified as the one reused as moot hill of the
Freebridge Hundred.
A field boundary fence which crosses the area of the monument on the north
west side is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath it is
included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
21385
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
