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.
The bowl barrow 400m west of Vicarage Barn is, despite limited erosion caused
by cultivation and track use, a well preserved example of its class. The
barrow will contain archaeological remains providing information about Bronze
Age beliefs, economy and environment.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow, lying immediately below the crest of a
ridge 400m to the west of Vicarage Barn.
The barrow has a mound which, originally circular, has been truncated on its
northern and southern sides by, respectively, the effects of cultivation and
of the use of an adjacent track. It now measures approximately 20m east-west
by 13m north-south and is 2.1m high. The ditch which surrounds the mound and
from which material for its construction was quarried is visible on its north
side as a shallow depression. Elsewhere around the mound, although disturbed
by track erosion and deeper cultivation, the ditch will survive as a buried
feature 3m wide.
All fence posts are excluded from the scheduling although the ground beneath
these features 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.