Bowl barrow 140m south east of Burston Cross

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.

Despite plough damage in the past, the bowl barrow 140m south east of Burston Cross survives comparatively well and contains archaeological and environmental information relating to the mound and its surrounding landscape. This mound forms part of a cluster of funerary and ritual monuments situated close to the present day village of Bow.

Details

This monument includes a bowl barrow situated within the valley of the River Yeo. The barrow survives as a large oval mound which measures 34.1m long from north to south by 28.5m wide from east to west and is 1.35m high. A slight hollow in the centre of the mound may suggest early part excavation or robbing. The ditch from which material to construct the mound was quarried, surrounds the barrow and is preserved as a buried feature c.3m wide. On the western side the mound has been slightly cut by a field boundary which passes over it. On the north eastern side a well and small pond have been constructed which also cut the mound and ditch. The barrow is part of a larger concentration of funerary and ritual monuments located around the present day settlement of Bow and many of these are the subject of separate schedulings.

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:

28632

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
MPP fieldwork by H. Gerrard, (1996)
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS70SW159, (1994)

End of official list entry

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