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.' Their ubiquity and their tendency to occupy
prominent locations makes them 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 organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are
particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion
of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.
Despite the loss of part of the westernmost barrow in West Wood through
silvicultural activities, It still retains significant archaeological
potential. It is also one of a group of similar monuments which
illustrate the importance of the area for burial in the Bronze Age.
Details
This example is the westernmost of the group in West Wood. The monument
includes a barrow which comprises an earthen mound and an encircling
ditch. The mound measures some 18m across, although it has been
truncated in the course of arboricultural activities, particularly on
the eastern side. It survives to a maximum height of 1.7m.
The ditch is visible only as a slight depression some 2m across. It lies
at a distance of between 3-7m from the present foot of the mound owing
to the removal of some of the mound material, but would originally have
bordered the foot of the mound. It was dug to provide the material with
which to construct the mound.
The mound and ditch together have a diameter of 21m.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
12813
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
