Bowl barrow 540m south east of Sandymoor Cross, forming part of a round barrow cemetery

Overview

Location

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.

Despite reduction in its height through cultivation and partial excavation, the bowl barrow 540m south east of Sandymoor Cross survives comparatively well and will contain both archaeological and environmental information relating to the monument and its surrounding landscape. Bowl barrows are the most numerous form of round barrow, with over 10,000 examples recorded nationally, they were constructed as earthen or rubble mounds each covering single or multiple burials.

Details

The monument includes a bowl barrow situated on a high upland ridge overlooking the valley of a tributary to Dury Water and forming part of a round barrow cemetery. Seven other barrows which make up the cemetery lie to the west, north west, north, north east and south and are the subject of separate schedulings. The monument includes a circular mound which measures 23m in diameter and up to 0.5m high. It is surrounded by an approximately 3m wide quarry ditch from which material to construct the mound was derived. This is now preserved as a buried feature. The mound has been cut on its south eastern quadrant by what may be an old excavation trench which is up to 0.2m deep. The general profile is uneven in character.

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:

34269

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX39NE4, (1989)

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 Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.