Bowl barrow 900m SSE of Green Bank

Reasons for Designation

A small number of areas in southern England appear to have acted as foci for ceremonial and ritual activity during the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age periods. Two of the best known and earliest recognised, with references in the 17th century, are around Avebury and Stonehenge, now jointly designated as a World Heritage Site. In the Avebury area, the henge monument itself, the West Kennet Avenue, the Sanctuary, West Kennet long barrow, Windmill Hill causewayed enclosure and the enigmatic Silbury Hill are well-known. Whilst the other Neolithic long barrows, the many Bronze Age round barrows and other associated sites are less well-known, together they define one of the richest and most varied areas of Neolithic and Bronze Age ceremonial monuments in the country. 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, normally 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 and around 320 in the Avebury area. This group of monuments will provide important information on the development of this area during the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age periods. All surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.

This bowl barrow is situated 900m SSE of Green Bank Avenue and lies close to the centre of the Avebury World Heritage Area. Despite having been reduced by cultivation, it will survive in the form of buried remains and will contain environmental and archaeological evidence relating to its construction and the landscape in which it was built.

Details

The monument includes a bowl barrow situated 900m SSE of Green Bank at the south east end of a slight ridge, located on the north east facing slope of West Overton Down. The barrow has been reduced in height by cultivation and is only visible at ground level as a slight spread of chalk c.35m in diameter and 0.3m high. From previous records it is known that the barrow mound originally stood at least 1.2m high. Surrounding the mound is a quarry ditch from which material was obtained during its construction. This has been infilled over the years by the spreading of the mound, but will survive as a buried feature c.2m wide.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

21895

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Grinsell, L V, A History Of WIltshire in Avebury 21, Vol. 1 pt 1, (1957), 137
Passmore, A D, Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine in Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine, Vol. 42, (1922), 50

Other
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:10000 Series Source Date: 1960 Author: Publisher: Surveyor: SU 16 NW
SU 16 NW 609, C.A.O., Doubtful ditched long barrow, (1978)
SU 16 NW 67, R.C.H.M.(E), East of Kennet Avenue, Avebury 21, (1974)
Measurements in imperial units, Saunders, AD, AM 7, (1955)
SU 16 NW 609 (Avebury record 203), KING, R, Doubtful ditched long mound, (1989)

End of official list entry

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