Round barrow cemetery 500m east of Little Bray Cross

Reasons for Designation

Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They comprise closely-spaced groups of up to 30 round barrows - rubble or earthen mounds covering single or multiple burials. Most cemeteries developed over a considerable period of time, often many centuries, and in some cases acted as a focus for burials as late as the early medieval period. They exhibit considerable diversity of burial rite, plan and form, frequently including several different types of round barrow, occasionally associated with earlier long barrows. Where large scale investigation has been undertaken around them, contemporary or later "flat" burials between the barrow mounds have often been revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland Britain, with a marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases, they are clustered around other important contemporary monuments such as henges. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape, whilst their diversity and their longevity as a monument type provide important information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving or partly-surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.

Despite reduction in the height of its barrows through cultivation the round barrow cemetery 500m east of Little Bray Cross survives comparatively well and will contain archaeological information relating to the construction and use of the monument as well as environmental evidence relating to the surrounding landscape.

Details

This monument, which falls into three separate areas, is situated on a prominent ridge known as Berry Hill overlooking the valley of the River Bray. The monument survives as five circular mounds of varying size arranged as two pairs with one single outlier. All have approximately 2m wide surrounding quarry ditches from which material to construct the mounds was derived; in all cases these are preserved as buried features. The northernmost pair of barrows are the most prominent. Of these, the northern mound measures 17.4m in diameter and 0.9m high, while the southern mound is 16m in diameter and 0.6m high. This mound is crossed by a stone built, slightly ditched field boundary on its western side. Of the westernmost pair of barrows, the eastern barrow lies on the summit of the hill and measures 14.4m in diameter and 0.3m high; the western barrow is 16.2m in diameter and 0.4m high. The final barrow is the single outlier which is the southernmost of the whole group. This measures 15.8m in diameter and 0.3m high. This is crossed on its northern side by a slightly ditched stone built field boundary. All field boundaries which cross the barrows are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them 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.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

32235

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS63NE11, (1982)
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS63NE10, (1982)
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS63NE9, (1982)
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS63NE8, (1982)
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS63NE7, (1982)

End of official list entry

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