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.
The bowl barrow 1080m north east of Worsted Lodge Farm, part of a dispersed
round barrow cemetery in Charterhouse Plantation, survives as a substantial
earthwork with associated buried features. It is exceptionally well-preserved
and forms part of an extensive area of burial mounds scattered upon the chalk
uplands of north Hertfordshire and south Cambridgeshire. This barrow is one of
the most visible indicators of prehistoric activity in the region and
therefore a focus for the study of prehistoric society. As the barrow has not
been excavated most archaeological deposits will survive intact.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow situated 1080m north east of Worsted Lodge
Farm on the east side of the Newmarket to London road (A11). The mound of this
barrow survives as a prominent earthwork with a diameter of 20m and a height
of 1.4m. The ditch, from which earth was dug in the construction of the mound,
has become infilled over the years but survives as a buried feature, of which
the north eastern part is visible on aerial photographs. The ditch is believed
to be 3m wide.
The barrow is situated in an area of great archaeological activity near the
course of the prehistoric Icknield Way, over which the Romans later built a
road. The course of the Roman road is now followed by the A11. The barrow is
part of a dispersed round barrow cemetery in Charterhouse Plantation. Although
most barrows in this cemetery are known from documentary evidence only, 300m
to the north west, lies a cluster of four bowl barrows which survive as
earthworks and are the subject of a separate scheduling (SM33344).
All fence posts are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath
them 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.
