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 420m ESE of South Walk Farm is a prominent earthwork occupying
a commanding position on the crest of a ridge above the valley of the River
Bain and immediately adjacent to High Street from which it is clearly visible.
Valuable archaeological deposits, including funerary remains, will be retained
beneath the mound and in the fills of the buried ditch. These will contain
information relating to the dating and construction of the monument.
Environmental deposits preserved in the same features will contain information
on the nature of the landscape in which the monument was set. The proximity of
further bowl barrows to the south, and the monument's association with High
Street which originated as a prehistoric trackway, is indicative of the ritual
significance of this location. The frequency of these monuments poses wider
questions concerning settlement patterns and demography during the prehistoric
period.
Details
The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a Bronze Age bowl
barrow prominently situated 130m above sea level on the summit of a ridge
above the valley of the River Bain. The circular mound measures approximately
14m in diameter and stands to a maximum height of 1.25m above the surrounding
arable field, which slopes away from the monument on all sides. Although the
line of the encircling ditch from which material for the mound would have been
quarried is not visible, it is thought that this will survive beneath the
present ground surface. No records of archaeological excavation are known and
it is thought that the monument and the burial deposits within it remain
largely intact.
The bowl barrow is adjacent to the prehistoric trackway now formalised as High
Street, and lies some 150m NNW of a similar monument located within Tongue
Piece Holt, and c.400m SSE of the long barrow north east of South Walk Farm,
both of which are the subject of separate schedulings (SM27877 and SM27899).
MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 5 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.
