Two bowl barrows and a saucer barrow 360m south of the Club House on Petersfield Heath Common, part of the Petersfield Heath Group

Reasons for Designation

Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They comprise closely-spaced groups of up to 30 round barrows - rubble or earthen mounds covering single or multiple burials. Most cemeteries developed over a considerable period of time, often many centuries, and in some cases acted as a focus for burials as late as the early medieval period. They exhibit considerable diversity of burial rite, plan and form, frequently including several different types of round barrow, occasionally associated with earlier long barrows. Where large scale investigation has been undertaken around them, contemporary or later "flat" burials between the barrow mounds have often been revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland Britain, with a marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases, they are clustered around other important contemporary monuments such as henges. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape, whilst their diversity and their longevity as a monument type provide important information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving or partly-surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.

Saucer barrows date to the Early Bronze Age, most examples falling between 1800 and 1200BC. They are one of the rarest recognised forms of round barrow, with about 60 examples known nationally, most of which are in Wessex. Bowl barrows, by contrast, are the most numerous form of round barrow and date from the Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most examples dating to between 2400-1500BC. The two bowl barrows and saucer barrow on Petersfield Heath Common 360m south of the Club House survive well despite some later disturbance. These and the other barrows in the group can be expected to retain important archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the cemetery and the environment in which it was constructed.

Details

The monument includes two bowl barrows and a saucer barrow, all of Late Neolithic to Bronze Age date, prominently situated on a low ridge on Petersfield Heath Common, overlooking Heath Pond to the west. It forms part of a round barrow cemetery east of Heath Pond, known as the Petersfield Heath Group. Now comprising 21 barrows, a first edition Ordnance Survey map dated to 1810 indicates that this round barrow cemetery was formerly more extensive, including further barrows situated to the north and east, now destroyed by modern housing. The two bowl barrows are now separated by a modern golf tee. The larger barrow, to the north west, occupies the highest point on the heath. It is steep-sided, roughly circular in shape, stands approximately 2.4m high and measures 32m in diameter. It has a hollow centre, indicative of later excavation, and a flattened top, possibly as a result of its reputed modern use as a bandstand. The smaller bowl barrow, 12m to the south east, is also roughly circular in shape. It stands approximately 1.2m high and measures 26m in diameter. Although no longer visible at ground level, both barrows have surrounding quarry ditches surviving as buried features about 2m wide. The saucer barrow is situated on gently sloping ground between the two bowl barrows, 10m to the south. The earthworks are distinct only on the downhill (south) side where they include a slightly raised central mound, approximately 0.2m high and 12m in diameter, surrounded by a penanular ditch, about 2.5m wide and 0.15m deep, and a wide outer bank, approximately 5m wide and 0.4m high. All three barrows have been partly disturbed by tree growth and by the modern use of the area as a golf course and recreation ground. Two concrete posts set into the north slope of the eastern bowl barrow and a bench and a rubbish bin set into the west slope of the western bowl barrow are excluded from the scheduling, 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:

32536

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Piggott, S, Hampshire Barrows, (1930)
Grinsell, L V, Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club in Hampshire Barrows, (1939), 356
Grinsell, L V, Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club in Hampshire Barrows, (1939)

Other
Piggott, S, (1930)

End of official list entry

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