Barrow cemetery 730m north of Hampshire Gap

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 round barrow cemetery 730m north of Hampshire Gap is a comparatively well preserved example of its class. Part excavation has shown one of the barrows to contain a variety of burial types. Despite some erosion caused by cultivation, the majority of the barrows still exhibit a recognisable profile and will contain archaeological remains providing information about Bronze Age beliefs, economy and environment.

Details

The monument includes a round barrow cemetery, a linear group of five barrows, aligned north west - south east on the crest of a low ridge on the northern side of a shallow combe. The barrows are part of a wider but scattered group of barrows which spreads eastwards into the base of the combe. Three of the barrows survive as recognisable earthworks. Of these, the most north westerly example is a bowl barrow which has a mound approximately 20m in diameter. The adjacent track truncates the southern side of the mound over the remaining part of which runs the boundary bank for the parish and the Cholderton Estate. This has resulted in the mound appearing somewhat elongated in a south west - north easterly direction. The mound is surrounded by a ditch which, although no longer visible, will survive as a buried feature 3m wide. Immediately south east of this lies a further bowl barrow, the mound of which is approximately 30m in diameter and has been reduced by cultivation to a height of 0.7m. A ditch was formerly recorded on the south west side of the mound and will survive elsewhere as a buried feature 3m wide. To the south east of and partly underlying this barrow is a disc barrow, now almost levelled by cultivation. In 1938 it was recorded as having a central mound 20.1m in diameter and 0.75m high sitting on a flat platform and surrounded by a shallow ditch. This was 6.1m wide and was itself surrounded by a low outer bank 6.1m wide. The overall diameter of the barrow is 51m. The central mound is still visible although now only surviving to a height of 0.2m, and the ditch will survive as a buried feature. Part excavation of this barrow by Dr Gray Hill revealed a central cremation burial accompanied by a flint knife, a shale ring and several sea shells. There was a secondary interment to the east and a cremation to the west in a pocket in the chalk. On the south side a fragmentary urn of Middle Bronze Age date was found inverted over a cremation. Scattered over the south west quadrant of the barrow were further sherds of pottery, animal bones and fragments of burnt clay. To the south east of the disc barrow lie two further barrows, now levelled by cultivation but formerly recorded as being small saucer barrows. The most westerly example was recorded as having a mound 5.5m in diameter surrounded by a ditch 5.1m wide and traces of an external bank of similar width. The other had a mound 11.6m in diameter surrounded by a ditch 4.6m wide and a low bank 4.3m wide. No trace of their external banks or central mound can now be seen although their ditches will survive as buried features. A further possible barrow immediately east of the most south easterly barrow is now considered to be the ploughed remains of a field corner and has not been included within the scheduling. All fence posts are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath these features 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:

26746

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Grinsell, L V, Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society in Disc Barrows, Vol. Vol 40, (1974), 79-93
Grinsell, L V, Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Soc. in Hampshire Barrows Part 1: Addenda and Corrigenda, Vol. 14 pt.2, (1939), 217

Other
Crawford, O G S, Air Photography For Archaeologists,

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