Bowl barrow 500m west of the wireless station on Morgan's Hill; part of a group of three bowl barrows

Reasons for Designation

A small number of areas in southern England appear to have acted as foci for ceremonial and ritual activity during the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age periods. Two of the best known and earliest recognised, with references in the 17th century, are around Avebury and Stonehenge, now jointly designated as a World Heritage Site. In the Avebury area, the henge monument itself, the West Kennet Avenue, the Sanctuary, West Kennet long barrow, Windmill Hill causewayed enclosure and the enigmatic Silbury Hill are well-known. Whilst the other Neolithic long barrows, the many Bronze Age round barrows and other associated sites are less well-known, together they define one of the richest and most varied areas of Neolithic and Bronze Age ceremonial and ritual monuments in the country. Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (2000-700 BC). They comprise closely-spaced groups of up to 30 round barrows - rubble or earthen mounds covering single or multiple burials. Most cemeteries developed over a considerable period of time, often many centuries, and in some cases acted as a focus for burials as late as the early medieval period. They exhibit considerable diversity of burial rite, plan and form, frequently including several different types of round barrow and occasionally associated with earlier long barrows. Where investigation beyond the round barrows has occurred, contemporary or later `flat' burials between the barrow mounds have often been revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland England with a marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases they are clustered around other important contemporary monuments, as is the case both here and at Stonehenge. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape, while their diversity and their longevity as a monument type provide important information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. All examples are considered worthy of protection.

Despite evidence for partial excavation in the past, the bowl barrow 500m west of the wireless station on Morgan's Hill survives as a recognisable earthwork and will contain archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to its construction and the landscape in which it was built.

Details

The monument includes one of a group of three bowl barrows, located on a west facing spur of Morgan's Hill. This barrow is situated 500m west of the wireless station on Morgan's Hill. The Wansdyke linear earthwork runs from east to west through the group, with this and one other barrow to the south and the remaining barrow to the north. The barrow has a mound 26m in diameter and up to 1.7m high. Surrounding this, but only visible as a slight surface feature, is a quarry ditch from which material was obtained during its construction. This has become infilled over the years but survives as a buried feature about 2.5m wide. There is a slight depression in the top of the mound which measures 0.3m deep and roughly 1.5m wide. This is believed to represent a partial excavation, probably during the mid-19th century when the barrow to the north was opened.

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:

28112

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Grinsell, LV, A History of Wiltshire in A History of Wiltshire, Vol. 1,1, (1957), 208

Other
SU06NW 628, C.A.O., Bowl barrow, (1970)
SU 06 NW 018, R.C.H.M.(E), Three barrows, two bell and one bowl, (1968)
SU06NW 674, C.A.O., Wansdyke, (1970)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.