A pair of bowl barrows 225m south east of Boreham Mill

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 pair of bowl barrows 225m south east of Boreham Mill survive well and are good examples of an unusual low-lying group of barrows which line the Wylye valley. The barrows will contain archaeological and environmental remains relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was built.

Details

The monument includes a pair of bowl barrows 225m south east of Boreham Mill at the northern end of Bishopstrow, a village on the River Wylye to the south east of Warminster. The barrows are on river gravels on the edge of the flood plain of the river. The western barrow is situated on the first terrace of the river, sloping to the east. The mound measures 17m from east to west and 13m from north to south and may have been truncated by a previous episode of cultivation. To the south east it has also been truncated slightly by a drainage ditch. From the east the mound is up to 1.5m high. Some 25m to the east, the second barrow is on the flat flood plain of the river. The mound is up to 1m high and measures 15m from east to west and 10m from north to south; it is also truncated slightly. Both mounds are surrounded by ditches from which material was quarried during their construction. These have become infilled but will survive as buried features about 3m wide.

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.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

34213

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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