Ring Holt bowl 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.

Ring Holt bowl barrow survives as a substantial and undisturbed earthwork. Valuable archaeological deposits, including human remains, will be preserved within and beneath the mound, and in the fills of the buried ditch. These will provide information relating to the the monument's dating, construction and period of use together with insights into the funerary practices of the barrow builders. Environmental evidence preserved within the same contexts will help to illustrate the nature of the landscape in which the barrow was set.

Details

Ring Holt is a Bronze Age bowl barrow occupying a commanding position on a south western facing hill slope above a tributary of the River Lymn, some 460m SSW of Dalby Bar. The circular barrow mound, which was constructed against the summit of the hill, is approximately 30m in diameter and 1.5m high, with a rounded profile and a flattened top. It is thought that this flattening is due to arable erosion and weathering and that the mound may have originally stood higher, when it would have been a notable feature against the skyline. Traces of an infilled and buried ditch are evident around the northern arc of the barrow mound. Material used in the construction of the mound would have been quarried from this ditch. There is no evidence to indicate that the barrow has ever been excavated and it is thought to be largely intact. The bench seat 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.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

29704

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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