Two bowl barrows 170m west and 200m south west of Berry Down Cross, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Berry Down

Reasons for Designation

Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They comprise closely-spaced groups of up to 30 round barrows - rubble or earthen mounds covering single or multiple burials. Most cemeteries developed over a considerable period of time, often many centuries, and in some cases acted as a focus for burials as late as the early medieval period. They exhibit considerable diversity of burial rite, plan and form, frequently including several different types of round barrow, occasionally associated with earlier long barrows. Where large scale investigation has been undertaken around them, contemporary or later "flat" burials between the barrow mounds have often been revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland Britain, with a marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases, they are clustered around other important contemporary monuments such as henges. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape, whilst their diversity and their longevity as a monument type provide important information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving or partly-surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.

Despite reduction in height through cultivation, the bowl barrows 170m west and 200m south west of Berry Down Cross, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Berry Down survive comparatively well and contain archaeological and environmental information relating to the monument and its surrounding landscape.

Details

This monument which falls within two separate areas of protection, includes two bowl barrows situated on the high upland ridge known as Berry Down, overlooking the Sterridge valley. They form part of a round barrow cemetery, of which seven barrows survive in all. The remaining barrows which form the round barrow cemetery are the subject of separate schedulings. The northernmost barrow survives as an oval mound 22.6m long east to west, 10.4m wide north to south and 0.4m high. The surrounding quarry ditch from which material to construct the mound was derived survives as a buried feature approximately 3m wide on all except the north side where the barrow is truncated by the road. The road is not included in the scheduling. To the north, part of the ditch underlies a field boundary. The southern barrow survives as a circular mound 17.8m in diameter and 0.5m high. The surrounding quarry ditch is preserved as a buried feature approximately 3m wide. The field boundary which crosses the northernmost 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.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

34250

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS54SE14, (1980)
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS54SE15, (1980)

End of official list entry

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