Gallows Hill round barrow

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.

Gallows Hill round barrow survives reasonably well despite partial excavation and plough damage. It will retain significant information on its use and history.

Details

The monument includes the remains of a Bronze Age round barrow, located 800m north east of Pockthorpe Hall. Reputed to be the site of a gallows in the 14th century, the round barrow was excavated in 1958 by Messrs C and E Grantham and found to cover two graves, one with a food vessel. Within the body of the mound, which in 1958 was already plough damaged, a number of flint implements and beaker shards were found along with two cremation burials, one with a second food vessel. The barrow was found to be ditched and to be surrounded by a number of shallow medieval graves which were presumed to relate to the use of the barrow as the site of a gallows. The area has remained under cultivation since then and was recorded as being one foot high and 90 feet in diameter in 1967. The mound has since been reduced to a slight rise of no more than 0.2m high and 6m in diameter.

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:

33581

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
SMR, 4025,

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