The westernmost of a pair of bowl barrows, 310m north east of Llanerch-y-coed

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 westernmost of a pair of bowl barrows, 310m north east of Llanerch-y-coed is a well preserved example of this class of monument. The barrow mound will retain evidence for its method of construction and any phases of refurbishment, as well as for the burial or burials within it. This will enhance our understanding of both the technology and social organisation of its builders. The accumulated ditch fills will contain environmental evidence for activity at the barrow and land use around it, during its construction and subsequent use. The buried ground surface beneath the mound itself will similarly preserve environmental evidence for the prehistoric landscape in which the barrow was built. In its elevated position near the crest of an east-west ridge, the monument would have been a clearly visible landmark for the Bronze Age population of the area.

Details

The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a bowl barrow, situated near the top of a north facing ridge, between two streams which rise to either side of Llanerch-y-coed. The remains include an earthern mound, approximately 10m east-west by approximately 12m north-south. The ground falls away steeply into the plantation, and the longer edge of the mound is thus aligned east-west along the crest of this drop. The mound itself is approximately 1.5m high, but due to its position on the slope, its crest rises approximately 4m above the ground to the north, where its profile merges with the natural slope. A large scoop cuts approximately 2m back into the northern side of the mound, and may be the result of an early investigation of the barrow. A large number of stone slabs are visible in the resulting scar, forming a rough line approximately 1m below the summit of the barrow. These stones may represent the remains of a revetment or kerb supporting the earthern core of the mound. This structural material will have been quarried from a surrounding ditch, although this has since become infilled and is no longer visible on the surface. The wood grows thickly on all but the south side of the monument, and a number of dead trees occupy the mound itself. Before the development of Newhouse Wood the barrow would have commanded impressive views to the west, north and east, and its position is typical of this type of monument. A second barrow located 50m to the north east is the subject of a separate scheduling (SM28871).

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:

27507

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Watson, M D, Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Soc in Ring-Ditches of the Upper Severn Valley, Vol. 67, (1991), 9-14

Other
H&W SMR Officer, (1995)

End of official list entry

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