Bowl barrow 480m south east of West End Barn

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 480m south east of West End Barn, although reduced in height by ploughing and disturbed by previous excavations, will contain archaeological remains, providing information about Bronze Age burial practices, economy and environment.

Details

The monument includes a bowl barrow situated on a gentle north facing slope near the summit of a ridge. The barrow has a mound which now lies mostly within a mature field boundary hedge. To the west the mound has been reduced in height by ploughing and now survives as a very low rise in the ground surface. The mound was previously recorded as being 40ft (c.12m) in diameter and now has a maximum height of c.0.6m. There is no clear indication of a quarry ditch surrounding the mound but it will survive as a buried feature c.2m wide. The barrow was probably excavated by J Mansel-Pleydell in 1881 when three cremations in cists were found, possibly in primary positions. The barrow apparently lies within a field system which has been levelled by ploughing and which is not included in 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:

27398

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 181
Mansel Pleydell, J C, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Arch. Society in The Barrows Of Dorset, Vol. 5, (1883), 30-31

End of official list entry

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