Bell barrow and two bowl barrows 170m north east of Holmebridge Post Office

Reasons for Designation

Bell barrows, the most visually impressive form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating to the Early and Middle Bronze Age, with most examples belonging to the period 1500-1100 BC. They occur either in isolation or in round barrow cemeteries and were constructed as single or multiple mounds covering burials, often in pits, and surrounded by an enclosure ditch. The burials are frequently accompanied by weapons, personal ornaments and pottery and appear to be those of aristocratic individuals, usually men. Bell barrows (particularly multiple barrows) are rare nationally, with less than 250 known examples, most of which are in Wessex. Their richness in terms of grave goods provides evidence for chronological and cultural links amongst early prehistoric communities over most of southern and eastern England as well as providing an insight into their beliefs and social organisation. As a particularly rare form of round barrow, all identified bell barrows would normally be considered to be of national importance.

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 to be worthy of protection. Despite some reduction, the bell barrow and two bowl barrows 170m north east of Holmebridge Post Office survive comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed.

Details

The monument includes a bell barrow and two bowl barrows which form a triangular cluster, situated on a ridge on the southern edge of South Heath, overlooking Frome Valley to the south. The bell barrow is situated to the north west and was recorded by L V Grinsell (1959) and The Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments in England (1970). It included a central mound 10m in diameter and approximately 1m in height, surrounded by a berm or gently sloping platform 1.8m wide, with an outer ditch 2m wide. The barrow has since been reduced and now has the appearance of a stony patch 14m wide and approximately 0.2m high. The outer ditch, from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument, has since become infilled but will survive as a buried feature. When recorded by L V Grinsell and The Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments in England, the two bowl barrows had mounds 8.5m-12m in diameter and approximately 1.2m-1.4m in height, each surrounded by a visible quarry ditch. The mounds have since been reduced but remain visible as stony patches 10m-12m in diameter and approximately 0.2m in height. The quarry ditches have since become infilled, but each will survive as a buried feature 1.5m wide.

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:

29060

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 452
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 452
Grinsell, L V, Procs Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Soc. in Dorset Barrows, (1959), 108
Grinsell, L V, Procs Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Soc. in Dorset Barrows, (1959), 108

Other
Description of barrow, RCHME, National Monuments Record,

End of official list entry

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