Reasons for Designation
Round barrows 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 mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered
single or multiple burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as
cemeteries and often acted as a focus of 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 examples recorded nationally (many more have already
been destroyed), occurring across most of Britain, including the Wessex area
where it is often possible to classify them more closely, for example as bowl
or bell barrows. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major
historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable variation in
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.
Unlike the majority of round barrows in the region which were dug into by 19th
century antiquarians in search of burials and artifacts, the round barrow 60m
north east of Riccal Bridge appears largely undisturbed. Its importance is
heightened by its proximity to Pockley Gates round barrow which is also
believed to have avoided antiquarian excavation.
Details
The monument is the western of a group of three prehistoric burial mounds,
known as round barrows, just south of the foot of Wykeham Dale Hill extending
eastwards from the River Riccal. The eastern barrow of the group, Pockley
Gates round barrow 250m to the east, is the the largest and is the subject of
a separate scheduling. The middle barrow, which was about 200m ENE, is
believed to have been lost to road improvements.
Riccal Bridge round barrow is a mound approximately 17m in diameter and up to
0.4m high. Its eastern edge, up to a maximum of 5m wide, has been lowered by
up to 0.2m by ploughing. The barrow is sited close to the bank of the River
Riccal and is crossed by a modern fenceline. The mapped depiction of the
barrow symbol is slightly inaccurate as most of the mound lies on the western
side of the fence and not on the eastern side as shown by the map symbol. With
the removal of modern embankments and hedge lines, it would have been
intervisible with the other two barrows in the group. However, unlike Pockley
Gates round barrow it is not thought to have ever had lines of sight with the
barrows to the east and south east of Helmsley. The position of Riccal Bridge
round barrow, at the foot of the hill, rather than higher up, is thought to
have the additional significance of marking an ancient route way which ran
along the north side of the Vale of Pickering. Unlike most round barrows in
the area, Riccal Bridge round barrow is not thought to have been disturbed by
excavation in the past. Although the barrow is not encircled by an obvious
ditch, excavation of other examples of round barrows in the region have shown
that even where no encircling depression is discernible on the modern ground
surface, ditches immediately around the outside of the mound frequently
survive as infilled features, containing additional archaeological deposits. A
margin to allow for such an infilled ditch up to 2m wide is thus also included
within the monument.
All fence posts are excluded from the scheduling although the ground beneath
these features 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.
