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 the buried remains of a Bronze Age bowl barrow located
146m above sea level in arable land about 600m WSW of New Buildings and about
200m west of Bluestone Heath Road. It has a diameter of approximately 36.5m
and while the mound is known to have stood to a height of about 1.5m, this has
been reduced in recent years by ploughing to a few centimetres. The barrow is
thought to have been encircled by a ditch now buried beneath the present
ground surface from which material for its construction would have been
quarried.
Its proximity to Bluestone Heath Road, which is thought to have originated as
a prehistoric trackway, and to a number of other Neolithic and Bronze Age
barrows, indicates that the area was of continuing ritual significance in the
prehistoric period.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
27879
Legacy System:
RSM
End of official list entry
