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.
Mill Hill barrow survives well, and the monument will retain archaeological
information concerning the construction of the barrow and the manner and
duration of its use. Evidence for earlier land use and for the local
environment in the past is also likely to be preserved in soils buried beneath
the mound. The subsequent use of the mound to support a post mill, as
indicated by the name, gives the monument additional interest.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow which crowns a natural knoll on a spur of
former heathland above Belton marshes and the estuary of the River Waveney,
which lies some 1.5km to the west. The barrow is visible as an earthen mound,
slightly irregular in profile, covering a sub-circular area with a maximum
diameter of approximately 20m, and standing to a height of up to 1.5m. It is
thought that the mound is encircled by a ditch up to 4m in diameter, from
which earth was dug and used in the construction of the barrow, and although
this ditch has become completely infilled, it will survive as a buried
feature. The mound and ditch together have, therefore, an estimated diameter
of 28m. The name of the barrow is evidence that a post mill was constructed on
the mound during the medieval period or later, and the slight irregularity in
the profile and plan of the mound may be the result of this reuse.
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.
