Round barrow 425m north west of Rushwood Hall

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 limited disturbance this barrow has survived well. Significant information about the original form of the barrow and the burials placed within it will be preserved. Evidence of earlier land use will also survive beneath the barrow mound. The barrow lies in close proximity to the major prehistoric ritual monument at Thornborough which dates to the Neolithic period and includes three henges, a cursus and a pit alignment. The relationship between the ritual monument and the barrow offers important information for understanding the development and nature of ritual and funerary practices through the prehistoric period.

Details

The monument includes a round barrow situated in the Vale of Mowbray. Although reduced by agricultural activity, the barrow survives as low circular mound 0.3m high and 30m in diameter. The barrow mound was originally surrounded by a ditch up to 3m wide, but the ditch has been buried by soil spread from the mound and is no longer visible as an earthwork. A gravel track crosses the south east of the monument. The surface of the track is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath 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:

29509

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Grinsell, L, Yorkshire Archaeological Society in Bowl Barrows on Thornborough and Hutton Moors, Vol. VOL 38, (1955), 442

End of official list entry

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