Two bowl barrows 180m south west of Hampson Cottage

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, the bowl barrows 180m south west of Hampson Cottage survive comparatively well and contain archaeological and environmental information relating to the mounds and their surrounding landscape. These mounds form part of a cluster of funerary and ritual monuments situated close to the present day village of Bow.

Details

This monument includes two bowl barrows, aligned broadly north-south, 180m south west of Hampson Cottage, Bow. They lie on a ridge which overlooks the valleys of the River Yeo to the south and the Venn Lake to the north. These features form part of a complex of ritual and funerary monuments centred around the village of Bow. The placename `Nymett' associated with the site, is thought to have Celtic sacred significance. The northern barrow survives as a circular mound with a diameter of 18.5m and is 0.4m high. The ditch from which material to construct the mound was quarried, surrounds the barrow, is preserved as a buried feature and is clearly visible on the aerial photographs. The barrow underlies a field boundary bank but is seen to survive on both sides of the boundary. The southernmost barrow survives as a slightly raised and flattened circular mound with a diameter of 22m and is 0.35m high. This partly underlies a field boundary on its eastern side. The quarry ditch is preserved as a buried feature visible on aerial photographs. Many of the other funerary and ritual monuments in the area are the subject of separate schedulings. The field boundary bank overlying this monument is excluded from the scheduling, but the ground below 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:

28636

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Griffith, F M, Prehistoric Society Proceedings in Some Newly Discovered Ritual Monuments in Mid Devon, Vol. 51, (1985), 314

Other
MPP fieldwork by H. Gerrard, (1996)
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS70SW127, (1991)
MPP fieldwork by H. Gerrard, (1995)

End of official list entry

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