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 bowl barrow situated on a ridge overlooking the
Winterborne Valley to the north.
The barrow has a mound composed of earth, sand and turf, with maximum
dimensions of 30m in diameter and c.1.8m in height. The mound is surrounded by
a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the
monument. The ditch has become infilled over the years, but will survive as a
buried feature c.3m wide.
The barrow is likely to have later been reused as a windmill mound in the
post-medieval period, after which it is named. An embankment, which is up to
0.5m high, encircles the top of the mound and is likely to have been
associated with the windmill.
Excluded from the scheduling are all fence posts relating to the modern field
boundaries, along with the galvanised structures to the north of the mound,
although the ground beneath these features is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
28370
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
