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.
The bowl barrow in Hundred Acre Wood survives well as a whole, and although
there is some evidence of disturbance to the mound, this is relatively limited
in extent. The monument will retain archaeological information concerning the
construction of the barrow and the manner and duration of its use, and
evidence for the local environment before and during that period is likely to
be preserved in soils buried beneath the mound. It is one of several barrows
located between 2km and 6km to the east of a large dispersed round barrow
cemetery on and around Salthouse Heath, and has additional interest in the
context of this larger group. The barrows of the cemetery and the associated
group include a variety of forms and types, and the recorded evidence from
several which are known to have been the subject of part investigation
shows that they are of varying date. As a group, they therefore have a wider
significance for the study of the distribution, character and development of
the prehistoric population of the area.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow located on former heathland on the high
ground of the Cromer Ridge, close to the steep northern edge which fronts the
coast. The barrow is visible as an earthen mound c.1m in height and covering a
circular area c.16m in diameter. It is thought that the mound is encircled by
a ditch from which earth was dug and used in the construction of the barrow,
and this will survive as a buried feature, although it has become infilled and
can no longer be traced on the ground surface. The estimated overall diameter
of the barrow, including the ditch, is c.22m. A slight hollow in the surface
of the barrow mound on the west side, and a crescent-shaped ridge of earth
around the adjacent edge, perhaps mark the site of an antiquarian excavation
and the upcast from it.
The posts of a fence which crosses the northern part of the barrow mound are
excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them 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.