Three bowl barrows 250m west of Bower

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.

Despite having been reduced in height by cultivation, the three bowl barrows 240m west of Bower Farm survive comparatively well on a prominent ridge top location. Archaeological and environmental information relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed survives in and under these mounds.

Details

This monument includes three bowl barrows on a high ridge location overlooking the valley of Weasel Water, a tributary to the River Torridge. The three barrows all survive as circular or oval mounds with their surrounding quarry ditches being preserved as buried features. The northernmost barrow measures 28.8m in diameter and is 0.7m high. The southern barrow measures 25.9m in diameter and is 0.4m high. The easternmost barrow measures 26.5m long north to south by 24.1m east to west and is 0.4m high. This barrow is cut by an established track and is partly overlain by two field boundaries. The field boundaries crossing the monument are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath 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.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

30347

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS31SE17, (1972)
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS31WSE16, (1972)
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS31SE18, (1972)

End of official list entry

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