Two bowl barrows 560m east of Emily's Wood

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 two barrows 560m east of Emily's Wood survive well, and although it is probable that they were the subject of an antiquarian investigation in the 19th century, the extent of the disturbance will be small in relation to the monument as a whole, which will retain archaeological information concerning the construction of the barrows, the manner and duration of their use, and the local environment at that time. Evidence for land use predating the construction of the barrows is also likely to be preserved in soils buried beneath the mounds. The association with Grimes Graves gives the barrows additional interest and in this context, together with other barrows preserved in this part of the Breckland region, they provide evidence for the study of the general character and development of prehistoric settlement in the area.

Details

The monument includes, within a single area, two bowl barrows which are located in a plantation on what was formerly heathland in the Breckland region, 2.4km to the north of the Little Ouse River and immediately to the west of the road between Lynford and Brandon. On the opposite side of the road are the prehistoric flint mines known as Grimes Graves.

The barrows are visible as two earthen mounds c.28m apart, both standing to a height of c.1m. The first mound, on the northern edge of the plantation, covers a circular area c.29m in diameter, and the second, to the south west of the first, an area c.28m in diameter. It is likely that both mounds are encircled by ditches c.3m wide, from which earth was quarried and used in their construction, and although these ditches are now completely infilled, they will survive as buried features. The barrows were probably among seven in the vicinity of Grimes Graves which were investigated in 1871 by Lord Rosehill, who found evidence of cremations in them.

A modern fence which crosses the north side of the north eastern barrow is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath it 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:

21433

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Norfolk Archaeology in Norfolk Archaeology, Vol. 7, (1872), 372

Other
5144: Breckland; Weeting with Broomhill,

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.