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, known as Norbury Camp round barrow survives reasonably well,
despite having been ploughed and lies in an area of significant prehistoric
and Iron Age activity, which includes Norbury Camp and long barrow. The mound
will contain evidence for primary and secondary burials, along with grave
goods, which will provide information about prehistoric funerary practices and
about the size of the local community at that time. The barrow mound will also
preserve environmental information in the buried original ground surface,
predating the construction of the barrow and giving an insight into the
landscape in which the monument was set. In addition the mound and its
surrounding ditch will also contain environmental evidence, in the form of
organic remains, which will relate both to the barrow and the wider landscape.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow located on the crest of a hill in the
Cotswolds to the west of Norbury Camp Iron Age hillfort, the subject of a
separate scheduling. The barrow mound measures 35m in diameter and is about
0.1m high. Surrounding the mound is a ditch from which material was excavated
during the construction of the barrow. The ditch is no longer visible at
ground level, having become infilled over the years, but survives as a buried
feature about 3m wide.
The fence which runs immediately to the north of the barrow is excluded from
the scheduling, although the ground beneath it 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.
