Bowl barrow on Round Hill, 200m west of The Napp

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 bowl barrow on Round Hill is a particularly well-preserved example of this class of monument. The barrow mound will retain evidence for its method of construction as well as the burial or burials within it. These remains will advance our understanding of Bronze Age society, including the ritual practices and technical abilities of its builders. The accumulated ditch fills will preserve environmental evidence for the activities which took place at the site during the construction of the barrow, and its subsequent use. In addition, the buried ground surface beneath the mound will preserve evidence for the prehistoric landscape in which the barrow was built. The prominent position of the monument makes it a clearly visible landmark.

Details

The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a Bronze Age bowl barrow situated on level ground at the summit of Round Hill where the ground slopes gently away to the north, east and south. From this location there are extensive views of the surrounding countryside, notably The Stiperstones to the east and the undulating lowlands to the north. The barrow at The Napp, 200m to the east, is also clearly visible from this location, and is the subject of a separate scheduling. The barrow mound, which is of earth and stone construction, is about 30m in diameter and survives to a height of 2.5m. Although no longer visible at ground level, a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the barrow, surrounds the mound. This has become infilled over the years but survives as a buried feature approximately 3m 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:

32294

Legacy System:

RSM

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