Reasons for Designation
Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.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, occasionally associated with earlier
long barrows. Where large scale investigation has been undertaken around them,
contemporary or later "flat" burials between the barrow mounds have often been
revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland Britain, with a
marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases, they are clustered around other
important contemporary monuments such as henges. Often occupying prominent
locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape, whilst
their diversity and their longevity as a monument type provide important
information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early
prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period
and a substantial proportion of surviving or partly-surviving examples are
considered worthy of protection.
The bell barrow and seven bowl barrows forming a dispersed round barrow
cemetery on Worgret Heath survive well and will contain archaeological
evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was
constructed. The two small bowl barrows within the nucleated group are
especially fragile and represent an unusual survival.
Details
The monument, which falls into five areas, includes a bell barrow and seven
bowl barrows, situated on Worgret Heath at the eastern end of the ridge
separating the valleys of the rivers Frome and Piddle. The monument occurs in
proximity to a group of linear earthworks, which are the subject of separate
schedulings.
To the east, the bell barrow and three bowl barrows form a nucleated group,
aligned north east by south west along a spur. The bell barrow, which is
situated at the south west end of this alignment, has a mound composed of
sand, gravel and earth with maximum dimensions of 13m in diameter and about
1.5m in height. This is surrounded by a berm or gently sloping platform 2.5m
wide, itself surrounded by a quarry ditch, visible as an earthwork 3m wide and
about 0.4m deep. A bowl barrow 50m to the north east, has a mound 13m in
diameter and about 1.35m high, surrounded by a quarry ditch visible as an
earthwork 2m wide and about 0.5m deep. Two small bowl barrows are situated
between the larger barrows. Each has a mound with maximum dimensions of
between 4m to 5m in diameter and between about 0.4m to about 0.5m in height.
The surrounding quarry ditches have become infilled but each will survive as a
buried feature about 1m wide.
The remaining bowl barrows are situated to the west and south west on a series
of knolls and ridges. Each barrow has a mound with maximum dimensions of
between 6.5m to 17m in diameter and between about 0.35m to about 1.2m in
height. Each is surrounded by a quarry ditch, all of which are visible as
earthworks between 1m and 2.5m in width.
The bowl barrow situated immediately west of the nucleated group, is
associated with an under-ground shelter on its north eastern side. This has
destroyed part of the barrow ditch and caused disturbance to part of the
barrow mound.
The structure of the shelter is excluded from the scheduling, although the
ground around and beneath is included.
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.
