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.
Details
The monument includes the large bowl barrow known as Black Hill, a second
bowl barrow which lies 50m to the south west of it and the archaeologically
sensitive ground between them. These stand in former heathland to the north
east of Troston village. Black Hill is visible as a large earthen mound, which
stands to a height of approximately 2.7m and covers a circular area about 33m
in diameter. It has steep sides on all but the south east side which slopes at
a more shallow angle. The mound is encircled by a ditch, from which the earth
was dug during the construction of the barrow. This has become infilled but
survives largely as a buried feature, and is marked on the north east side by
a slight hollow about 4m wide. The barrow therefore has a maximum overall
diameter of 41m.
The second smaller bowl barrow is visible as a roughly circular mound,
approximately 26m in diameter, standing on the north side to a maximum height
of 1m and shelving slightly to the south. Slight hollows, 3m wide, in the
ground surface immediately to the north of the mound mark the site of the
ditch which encircles the mound, and will survive elsewhere as a buried
feature. The barrow has a diameter of about 32m.
The surface of the trackway to the south and the rubble dump to the west of
the smaller barrow, together with the fencing and other structures of a
pheasant pen between the two barrows are excluded from the scheduling,
although the ground beneath these features is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
31089
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
