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.
Details
The monument includes a pair of east-west aligned bowl barrows situated on a
ridge which forms part of the Sussex Downs. The most prominent barrow of the
pair lies to the west and has a roughly circular mound c.14m in diameter and
c.1m high. The mound is surrounded by a ditch from which material used to
construct the barrow was excavated. This has becomed infilled over the years,
but survives as a buried feature c.2m wide. The eastern barrow has a mound
c.13m in diameter and c.0.8m high, the edge of which has been partly disturbed
by past ploughing. The mound will be surrounded by a buried construction ditch
c.2m wide.
The monument originally formed part of a group of at least eight burial
mounds, the other six of which have been levelled by modern ploughing and are
therefore not included in the scheduling.
The modern fence which crosses the monument is excluded from the scheduling,
although the ground beneath it is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
29255
Legacy System:
RSM
End of official list entry
