Two bowl barrows at Two Burrows, 500m north and 510m north east of Two Burrows Farm

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 two bowl barrows at Two Burrows are well preserved examples set in a commanding position. They will retain many of their original features providing information about the barrows and the landscape in which they were constructed.

Details

The monument, which falls into two areas, includes two Bronze Age bowl barrows on an east-west axis, situated 500m north and 510m north east of Two Burrows Farm alongside the road from Two Burrows to Mount Hawke. The eastern barrow is 2.8m high and 22m across with a rounded profile. It has a large central depression which may be the result of antiquarian excavation or internal collapse. The barrow 125m to the west is larger, being 3.6m high with a full rounded top surmounting a vertical rim 1.8m high which is found around the entire circumference. This barrow is 24m in diameter. Neither barrow displays any visible sign of having possessed a surrounding ditch. The two barrows are almost certainly the barrows which have given their name to the area. Excluded from the scheduling are the metal poles located in the easternmost barrow, although the ground beneath them 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:

29610

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Warner, R, Cornish Archaeology in St Agnes Parish, Vol. 1, (1962), 113

End of official list entry

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