Bowl barrow 320m east of New Moor Cross

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 320m east of New Moor Cross survives comparatively well, and despite reduction in its height through cultivation, it will contain archaeological evidence relating to the construction and use of the monument and also environmental evidence concerning the surrounding landscape.

Details

This monument includes a bowl barrow situated in a high upland location known as Easter New Moor overlooking the valley of a tributary to the River Yeo. The monument survives as a circular mound which measures 34.2m in diameter and is 0.7m high. The surrounding quarry ditch from which material to construct the mound was derived is preserved as a buried feature, which measures approximately 4m wide. There are two central circular depressions which may represent excavations, perhaps in antiquity. The western one is 4m in diameter and up to 0.3m deep. The eastern one is 5m in diameter and 0.2m deep. Further barrows which lie to the south west on the southern side of the A361 are the subject of separate schedulings.

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:

32234

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS82SW1, (1988)

End of official list entry

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