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 easternmost of a pair of bowl barrows 340m 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 barrow itself will
similarly preserve environmental evidence for the prehistoric landscape in
which the barrow was built. In its prominent position near the crest of a
slope, 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, just
below the crest of a north-facing slope in a loop of the River Wye. The barrow
lies between two streams which rise to either side of Llanerch-y-coed,
draining into West Brook and eventually into the River Wye.
The barrow has an earthen mound measuring about 12m north-south and 7m
east-west. Due to its situation the mound is about 4m high on its north,
downslope side, but merges into the hillside on its south. The east and west
profiles of the mound stand to about 0.7m high. The soil forming the mound
will have been quarried from a surrounding ditch about 3m wide, although this
has become infilled over time and is no longer visible on the surface.
There is a break in the slope, however, at the north edge of the barrow mound
which would appear to coincide with the position of a ditch.
A second barrow located 50m to the south west is the subject of a separate
scheduling (SM27507).
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.
