Five bowl barrows 100m north of Waypost Farm: part of a barrow cemetery south of Ramsey Forty Foot

Reasons for Designation

Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They comprise closely-spaced groups of up to 30 round barrows - rubble or earthen mounds covering single or multiple burials. Most cemeteries developed over a considerable period of time, often many centuries, and in some cases acted as a focus for burials as late as the early medieval period. They exhibit considerable diversity of burial rite, plan and form, frequently including several different types of round barrow, occasionally associated with earlier long barrows. Where large scale investigation has been undertaken around them, contemporary or later "flat" burials between the barrow mounds have often been revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland Britain, with a marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases, they are clustered around other important contemporary monuments such as henges. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape, whilst their diversity and their longevity as a monument type provide important information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving or partly-surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.

The five bowl barrows 100m north of Waypost Farm define part of a barrow cemetery which is in an unusual location on clayey gravel. Barrows recorded in neighbouring areas of the fen edge are sited on sands and gravel. Despite having undergone some disturbance by ploughing, the barrows survive as upstanding earthworks and will retain important archaeological information, both in themselves and in relation to the cemetery as a whole. Evidence for their construction and the manner and duration of their use, and for the local environment prior to and during that time will be preserved in the base of the mounds beneath the ploughsoil, in the soils buried beneath the mounds and in the fill of buried ditches. In the area between the barrows, buried features, such as `flat' burials, will contain further evidence relating to the use of the cemetery and its development through time.

Details

The monument includes a group of five bowl barrows within a barrow cemetery, located on a slight, south-facing slope on a spur of clayey gravel above the fen north east of Ramsey. The barrows are visible as earthen mounds, each standing to a height of c.0.5m and covering a circular area c.25m in diameter. The mounds have been reduced and spread by ploughing. It is probable that they are encircled by ditches from which earth was dug and used in the construction of the barrows, but which have now become infilled. If so, these will survive as buried features. The barrows occupy a roughly triangular area with maximum dimensions of 160m north east - south west by 108m. One barrow lies at the south western end of the triangle, with two more in alignment ENE of it, at intervals of c.43m. The fourth and fifth barrows are situated respectively c.35m and c.52m north west of the second two, and c.50m NNE and 110m north east of the first. Some manufactured flint flakes and rough cores have been found in the ploughsoil on and around the barrows. A further two barrows which formed part of the same original cemetery are the subject of a separate scheduling 300m to the north west.

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.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

21473

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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