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 on Great Ovens Hill, 650m and 570m NNW of Sandford Bridge
survive well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence
relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed.
Details
The monument, which falls into two separate areas, includes two bowl barrows,
aligned north-south, situated on the south-facing slope of Great Ovens Hill,
overlooking a tributary of the River Piddle.
The northern barrow, which is situated just below the crest of the ridge, has
a mound composed of earth, turf and sand with maximum dimensions of 14m in
diameter and about 1m in height. The southern barrow occupies a terrace near
to the base of the slope and it includes a mound with maximum dimensions of
13m in diameter and about 0.75m in height. The mounds are each surrounded by a
ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the
monument. The ditches have become infilled, but each will survive as a buried
feature 1.5m 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.
