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.
Despite some disturbance by military trenches, the bell barrow and bowl barrow
580m east of Clyffe House survive well and will contain archaeological and
environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it
was constructed. The outer bank and ditch of the bowl barrow are unusual
components.
Details
The monument includes a bell barrow and a bowl barrow, aligned north east by
south west and situated on a ridge known as Pallington Clump, overlooking the
Piddle Valley to the south. The barrows form part of a group of six which,
together, form a round barrow cemetery on the northern part of Pallington
Heath.
The bell barrow, which is situated to the north east, has a mound composed of
earth, sand and turf, with maximum dimensions of 23m in diameter and c.2m in
height. The mound is surrounded by a berm, or gently sloping platform, first
identified in 1952, but which is no longer obvious as an earthwork. The berm
is surrounded by a ditch from which material was quarried during the
construction of the monument. The ditch is visible as an earthwork 2.5m wide
and c.0.5m deep.
The bowl barrow, which is situated to the south west, has a mound composed of
similar material, with maximum dimensions of 20m in diameter and c.1.2m in
height. The mound is surrounded by an inner quarry ditch 3.5m wide and c.0.5m
deep, a bank 5m wide and c.0.6m high, and an outer quarry ditch 2m wide and
c.0.5m deep.
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.
