Reasons for Designation
Bell barrows, the most visually impressive form of round barrow, are funerary
monuments dating to the Early and Middle Bronze Age, with most examples
belonging to the period 1500-1100 BC. They occur either in isolation or in
round barrow cemeteries and were constructed as single or multiple mounds
covering burials, often in pits, and surrounded by an enclosure ditch. The
burials are frequently accompanied by weapons, personal ornaments and pottery
and appear to be those of aristocratic individuals, usually men. Bell barrows
(particularly multiple barrows) are rare nationally, with less than 250 known
examples, most of which are in Wessex. Their richness in terms of grave goods
provides evidence for chronological and cultural links amongst early
prehistoric communities over most of southern and eastern England as well as
providing an insight into their beliefs and social organisation. As a
particularly rare form of round barrow, all identified bell barrows would
normally be considered to be of national importance.
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 which covered single or multiple burials. There are
over 10,000 surviving examples recorded nationally.
The three bell barrows and a bowl barrow, 205m and 270m north west of Great
Ervills Farm, survive well, despite some disturbance to one of the group due
to later farming activities, and can be expected to retain important
archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the barrows and
the landscape in which they were constructed.
Details
The monument, which falls within two areas of protection, includes three
prominent bell barrows and a bowl barrow of late Neolithic or Bronze Age date
located on a slight south facing spur at Great Ervills Farm. The barrows form
two closely spaced or confluent pairs lying approximately 25m apart on and
around the toe of the spur.
The northern pair includes two large, roughly circular, bell barrows which are
joined near the base to form a twin barrow, aligned along the crest of the
spur, with a slight trace of a common surrounding ditch around the eastern
side. Both barrow mounds are steep sided, 2.5m high and up to 34m in diameter,
and include surrounding berms up to 8m wide. The area beyond the fence which
runs to the west of these barrows, has been ploughed to a level below the
original ground surface and is not included in the scheduling.
The southern pair includes another conspicuous bell barrow, 3m high and
approximately 33m in diameter, also with a surrounding berm. Immediately
beside it to the north east, the other barrow of the pair survives as a
slightly raised, irregularly oval shaped mound, 30m in diameter and up to
0.25m high. It was originally recorded as a bowl barrow, 28m in diameter and
2m high, but was partly bulldozed during the 1950s to fill a nearby chalk pit.
Although now partly removed, the original ground surface and the primary
burial can be expected to survive as buried features, as can surrounding
ditches around both of the southern barrows, now infilled by the later use of
the area for farming.
The fences that cross the monument are excluded from the scheduling, although
the ground beneath them is included.
MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
