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 850m ESE of Hill Farm, despite the damage caused by the
construction of a World War II gun emplacement, is comparatively well
preserved and will contain archaeological remains providing information about
Bronze Age burial practices, economy and environment.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow, 850m south east of Hill Farm, one of a
group of three adjacent to the parish boundary.
The barrow has a mound which was recorded in 1961 as being 23m in diameter,
although now it is slightly reduced in size. It is a maximum of 1.8m high with
a large crater, 7m in diameter and 0.7m deep, on its south east side. This
results from the construction of a World War II anti-aircraft gun emplacement.
Surrounding the mound is a quarry ditch from which material was excavated
during its construction. This has become infilled over the years but survives
as a buried feature 3m wide.
An additional barrow 120m to the south west forms the subject of a separate
scheduling. 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:
27459
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Grinsell, L V, 'Procs Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Soc.' in Dorset Barrows, (1959), 137
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
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