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 280m north east of Yatton Marsh Farm is a well preserved
example of this class of monument. The mound will retain details of its method
of construction, and evidence of the burial or burials within it. The
accumulated deposits in the surrounding ditch will contain environmental
evidence of activity at and around the barrow. These fills will also preserve
evidence of the prehistoric landscape in which the barrow was constructed, as
will the buried ground surface beneath the mound itself. Today the barrow is
easily visible to members of the public passing along the adjacent footpath to
the common, and is an important element in the wider landscape.
Details
The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a bowl barrow,
situated on a north facing slope at the western foot of Croft Ambrey hillfort.
The barrow is immediately north of a footpath leading from Leinthall Common to
Yatton, and is surrounded by mature trees. Prior to afforestation it would
have been a clearly visible landmark on the valley side, commanding a view
north up the valley to the River Teme. The remains include an earthen mound,
roughly oval at the base and measuring 9m diameter north to south and 6m
diameter east to west. The mound is 0.85m high. A 2m wide ditch was visible
around the barrow in 1975, from which material for the construction of the
mound will have been quarried. However, this feature is no longer visible on
the surface. A shallow scoop touches the mound on its west side and another
cuts into it slightly on the east. The unsurfaced public footpath abuts the
southern (upslope) edge of the barrow mound. The footpath has a wooden post
fence on either side; this fence is excluded from the scheduling but the
ground beneath it 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.
