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 bowl barrow on Whitcombe Hill, 650m north east of Whitcombe Vale Farm,
survives comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental
evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was
constructed.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow situated on a ridge known as Whitcombe
Hill, overlooking the Frome Valley to the north east, Winfrith Heath to the
south east and Whitcombe Vale to the south west. The barrow forms part of a
wider group of 12 which, together, form a round barrow cemetery on the western
part of Winfrith Heath.
The barrow has a mound composed of earth, sand and turf, with maximum
dimensions of 11m in diameter and c.0.8m in height. The mound is surrounded by
a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the
monument. The ditch has become infilled over the years, but will survive as a
buried feature c.1.5m wide.
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.
