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 two bowl barrows known as Heath Hill round barrows survive well, and the
mounds will contain evidence for primary and secondary burials, along
with grave goods which will provide information about prehistoric funerary
practices and the size of the local community at that time. The mounds will
also preserve environmental information in the buried original ground surface,
predating the construction of the barrows and giving an insight into the
landscape in which the monuments were set. In addition the mounds and their
surrounding ditches will also contain environmental evidence in the form of
organic remains, which will relate both to the barrows and to the wider
landscape.
Details
The monument includes two bowl barrows aligned north east-south west, located
just below the crest of a hill in the Cotswolds and within two areas of
protection. The northern barrow mound measures 9.5m in diameter and is 0.2m
high, while the barrow mound 130m to the south west measures 10m in diameter
and is 0.5m high. Surrounding each mound is a ditch from which material was
excavated during the construction of the barrows. These ditches are no longer
visible at ground level, having become infilled over the years, but survive as
buried features about 2m wide.
The wooden fence which runs east-west immediately to the north of the southern
barrow is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath it is
included.
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.
