Round barrow 690m SSW of Stocking Drove Farm

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.

The round barrow 690m SSW of Stocking Drove Farm is well-preserved, having been protected by overlying deposits of peat and clay, and is the best surviving example of a larger round barrow cemetery now largely destroyed by quarrying and arable cultivation. It appears to be unexcavated and is likely to contain a wealth of archaeological evidence relating to activity on the site, the manner and duration of use of the barrow, its construction, and the landscape in which it was set.

Details

The monument includes a round barrow situated 690m SSW of Stocking Drove Farm, north of Long North Fen Drove. The barrow has been protected by later deposits of marine clay and peat, from which the crown of the mound now emerges, visible as a slight gravel rise. The deeper lying remains were subject to a borehole survey in 1990, revealing that the mound survives to a height of 0.3m and has a diameter of 22m. The mound is surrounded by an infilled ditch, from which earth was dug in the construction of the mound, which is about 0.4m deep and 4m wide.

The barrow is situated on a gravel island along the former course of the River Great Ouse, where it met the Fen edge. This location acted as a focal point for prehistoric activity, leaving a range of monuments, such as a spread of barrow clusters and a Neolithic flint scatter about 120m to the south.

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:

33371

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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