Windmill Stem mound in Bramshill Forest

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.

The bowl barrow known as Windmill Stem survives well despite later remoulding of its summit, and continues to be an important landscape feature in what is now otherwise featureless woodland. The barrow will contain valuable archaeological remains relating to its construction, function and the prehistoric landscape in which it was built, while evidence for its reuse will provide important information about the nature of later activity in the area.

Details

The monument includes a large mound in Bramshill Forest, known at least since 1607 as `Windmill Stem'. Lying south of Bracknell on what was formerly Easthamstead Plain, it occupies a prominent position on the edge of the plateau overlooking the lower ground to the south west, and is believed to have originated as a Bronze Age burial mound. The monument includes a 35m diameter mound which stands up to 1m high and has a levelled summit approximately 18m across. It is surrounded by a shallow, largely infilled ditch about 2.5m wide, visible as a slight earthwork. The levelling of the summit is believed to date from the medieval, post-medieval or early modern periods when it appears to have been adapted for reuse as a windmill mound or artillery platform.

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:

28181

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
PRN 00414.00.000, S.M.R.O., Windmill Stem, (1984)

End of official list entry

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