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.
Details
This monument includes three bowl barrows and one bell barrow of Late
Neolithic to Early Bronze Age date, on the crest of a rocky promontory 83m
high, jutting out into the English Channel. The remaining barrows within the
cemetery and an Iron Age hillfort at Bolt Tail Camp to the west are the
subject of separate schedulings.
The barrows are closely spaced with their outer ditches touching one another.
The bell barrow lies on the north side of the group. This survives as a
central cairn of small stones 32m in diameter and up to 1m high; a surrounding
berm is between 4m and 11m wide and falls up to 0.7m into the encircling ditch
which is 7m wide and from 0.2m to 0.4m deep. The outer ditch and berm have
been disturbed on the south west side by the construction of a bowl barrow,
comprising a mound of small stones and earth, 26m in diameter and surviving
up to 1m high with an encircling ditch 5m wide and up to 0.2m deep. To the
south, its outer ditch touches that of a second bowl barrow, whose stony mound
is 20m in diameter, surviving up to 0.5m high. This has been robbed and its
surface is uneven as a result. A third bowl barrow lies a short distance
to the east. This is larger, having an earthen mound 36m in diameter,
surviving up to 1.5m high. Its surrounding ditch is 7m wide and up to 0.2m
deep. An upcast bank 8m wide survives up to 0.7m high on its east side and
touches the outer ditch of the bell barrow to its north.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
33771
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
