Bowl barrow 325m south of Hurlingbarrow

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 barrow south of Hurlingbarrow survives well and will retain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed. The barrow is believed to be associated with the game of hurling from which the place-name of Hurlingbarrow derives. This is one of a group of three barrows recorded in the vicinity.

Details

The monument includes a bowl barrow situated on the eastern edge of a field 300m south of Hurlingbarrow. The barrow mound stands 2.9m high with a rounded appearance and has a slight central depression probably caused by part excavation in antiquity. It has a diameter of 18m although it has been truncated on its eastern side by a track. There are no indications of a surrounding ditch. An urn was reported to have been excavated from this barrow although there are no further details. It was described as the`middle barrow' by Thomas in 1851 and may well be the barrow from which a ball was thrown in the ancient game of hurling - hence Hurlingbarrow. A further barrow at Mingoose 350m to the south is the subject of a separate scheduling.

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:

29607

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Henderson, C, Parochial Antiquities in MSS, Vol. III, (1930), 187
Warner, R, Cornish Archaeology in Parish of St Agnes, (1962), 116
Warner, R, Cornish Archaeology in Parish of St Agnes, (1962), 113

Other
Rees, E, DOE Record Form, (1976)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.