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. Although the barrow mound 525m SSE of Fourwinds has suffered superficial
damage as a result of tree-planting, and the western edge of it has been cut
away by the adjoining track, the scale of disturbance appears to be limited in
relation to the monument as a whole. Evidence of the manner in which the
barrow was constructed and used and of the duration of its use, as well as of
the local environment at and prior to the time of construction, will survive
in deposits in the mound and in the soils buried beneath it.
Details
The monument is a bowl barrow and includes a sub-circular, earthen mound 0.8m
in height and with a maximum diameter of 15m. This mound has been cut or
eroded on its western edge by the adjoining footpath and measures no more than
11m east-west. The mound was probably originally surrounded by a ditch from
which earth was dug and used in the construction of the barrow, but any such
feature has become completely filled and no trace of it survives on the ground
surface. Evidence of such a ditch has, however, been noted in association with
other barrow mounds in the surrounding area. 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:
21255
Legacy System:
RSM
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