Round barrow on Hasting Hill, 230m west of Hasting Hill Farm

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 round barrow on Hasting Hill is an example of a barrow in a prominent position. Although disturbed by excvavation in 1911 and by the insertion of a triangulation point, the barrow which has already provided evidence of a large number of burials and evidence of Neolithic activity, and will contain further archaeological evidence for dating and the environment in which it was constructed.

Details

The monument includes the round barrow on Hasting Hill, 230m west of Hasting Hill Farm. It occupies the highest point on the hill at its western end above a magnesian limestone quarry. The barrow is of earth and stone construction. It stands to a height of 1m and has an Ordnance Survey triangulation point inserted into the top around which some erosion has occurred. The barrow is circular with a diameter of c.12m. It is believed to have no surrounding bank and ditch. The barrow was excavated by Trechmann in 1911; 10 burials were found interred in the barrow along with pottery of Neolithic and Bronze Age date, and bone and flint tools. The barrow lies about 400m north west of a group of crop marks identified as an interrupted ditch enclosure and cursus, which is believed to be of Neolithic date.

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:

32044

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Manby, T G, Archaeologia Aeliana in Neolithic Pottery From Hasting Hill, Co. Durham, Vol. 5, I, (1973), 219-222
Trechmann, C T, Archaeologia Aeliana in Prehistoric burials in the county of Durham, Vol. 3, XI, (1914), 135-156
Young, R, Trans Architect and Archaeol Soc of Durham and Northumberland in An Inventory of Barrows in County Durham, Vol. 5, (1980), 10

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