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.
Bowl barrows are the most numerous form of round barrow and date from teh Late
Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most examples falling between
2400-1500BC.
The bowl barrow on Petersfield Heath Common 490m south of the Club House
survives reasonably well despite some later disturbance by tree roots and the
modern use of the area as a public recreation ground. This 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 a bowl barrow of Late Neolithic to Bronze Age date
situated on low lying ground on Petersfield Heath Common, 8m east of Heath
Pond. It forms part of a round barrow cemetery situated 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 cemetery was
formerly more extensive, including further barrows situated to the north and
east, now destroyed by modern housing.
The barrow includes a flat-topped mound, roughly circular in shape, which
stands approximately 0.6m high and is 25m in diameter. There is no visible
trace of an outer quarry ditch, although this will survive as an approximately
2m wide buried feature. The monument has been irregularly lowered and spread
by tree growth and by a modern footpath which crosses the barrow.
An iron post and rail fence which crosses the west side of the barrow, a bench
set on concrete posts beside the barrow and a gravelled footpath where they
fall within the barrow's protective margin 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.
