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 a bowl barrow situated on level ground on the western
side of Worgret Heath, a ridge dividing the valleys of the Rivers Frome and
Piddle. The barrow lies to the west of a dispersed cemetery of eight round
barrows on Worgret Heath.
The barrow was recorded by L V Grinsell in 1959 and by the Royal Commission
on the Historic Monuments of England in 1970. It has a mound composed of earth
sand and turf with maximum dimensions of 20m in diameter and about 0.5m in
height. The mound is surrounded by a ditch from which material was quarried
during the construction of the monument. The ditch has become infilled over
the years, but will survive as a buried feature about 2m wide.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
29079
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
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
