Five bowl barrows 500m north west of Cuckoo Cleeves: part of the Stock Hill round barrow cemetery

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 forming most of the Stock Hill round barrow cemetery survive comparatively well and, despite some disturbance possibly caused by previous part excavation of some of the mounds, the barrows contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating both to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed.

Numerous other burial monuments of the same date also survive in the area. Such evidence gives us an indication of the intensity of occupation and the nature of social organisation present in the area during the Bronze Age period.

Details

The monument includes a group of five bowl barrows forming most of a nuclear round barrow cemetery located on level ground 500m north west of Cuckoo Cleeves. A further barrow to the north and one to the south are the subject of separate schedulings.

From west to east the monument can be described as follows: (ST55675096) Bowl barrow visible as a barrow mound 16m in diameter and c.1.5m high at its highest point. A central depression c.1.25m deep may mark the site of a previous part excavation, although no details are known. A ditch, from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument surrounds the barrow mound. This survives as a slight depression c.3m wide on the north and east sides and as a buried feature elsewhere.

(ST55685096) Bowl barrow visible as a barrow mound 15m in diameter and c.1m high at its highest point. A central depression 2m in diameter and c.0.5m deep may mark the site of a previous excavation. The quarry ditch surrounding the barrow mound has become infilled over the years but survives as a buried feature c.3m wide.

(ST55705096) Bowl barrow visible as a barrow mound 27m in diameter and c.3m high at its highest point. A central depression 4m in diameter and c.0.75m deep may mark the site of a previous part excavation, although no details are known. A quarry ditch c.3.7m wide and c.0.3m deep surrounds the barrow mound.

(ST55745098) Bowl barrow visible as a barrow mound 10m in diameter and c.0.5m high at its highest point. The quarry ditch has become infilled over the years but survives as a buried feature c.2m wide.

(ST55755097) Bowl barrow visible as a barrow mound 15m in diameter and c.0.5m high at its highest point. The quarry ditch has become infilled over the years but survives as a buried feature c.3m wide.

A drystone wall running from west to east which crosses the second barrow mound (ST55685096) is excluded from the scheduling but the ground beneath 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.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

13921

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Tratman, E K, University of Bristol Speleological Society in Barrow Catalogue, ()
Tratman, E K, University of Bristol Speleological Society in Barrow Catalogue, (), 83
Tratman, E K, University of Bristol Speleological Society in Barrow Catalogue, ()
Tratman, E K, University of Bristol Speleological Society in Barrow Catalogue, ()
Tratman, E K, University of Bristol Speleological Society in Barrow Catalogue, ()
Tratman, E K, Proceedings of the Univ of Bristol Speleological Society in Fieldwork , (1938)
Tratman, E K, Proceedings of the Univ of Bristol Speleological Society in Fieldwork , (1938), 83
Grinsell, L, Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeology and Natural Hist Soc in Somerset Barrows Part II, Vol. Vol 115, (1971), 100
Grinsell, L, Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeology and Natural Hist Soc in Somerset Barrows Part II, Vol. Vol 115, (1971)
Grinsell, L, Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeology and Natural Hist Soc in Somerset Barrows Part II, Vol. Vol 115, (1971), 100
Tratman, E K, Proc Univ Bristol Spel Soc in Fieldwork, Vol. 5 (1), (1938)

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