Round barrow cemetery 290m east of Old Shifford Farm

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 barrow cemetery 290m east of Old Shifford Farm survives despite levelling of the barrow mounds by arable cultivation over the years. The ditches will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to their construction and it is likely that remains of the mound will preserve a buried land surface and primary burials. In addition, they will provide information about the landscape prior to the construction of the barrows.

Details

The monument consist of five Bronze Age round barrows, each defined by a single ditch, ranging from 10m to 30m in diameter. It is situated on a slight ridge typical of many barrow cemetery locations, 290m to the east of Old Shifford Farm. The monument is not visible on the ground, having been reduced by ploughing over time, but the surrounding ditches are visible on aerial photographs. The barrows form an irregular alignment running east to south west. The easternmost and largest barrow is 30m in diameter whilst the smallest is the penultimate south western barrow, measuring 10m in diameter. The central barrow of the group has two small sub-circular enclosures measuring 7m to 8m in diameter abutting its eastern side. The ditches of these barrows, from which material was quarried to make the mounds, have become infilled over time, but both the ditch and the remains of the mounds will preserve archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the Bronze Age.

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:

31434

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:10000 SP 30 SE (NMP Overlay) Source Date: 1993 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:10000 SP 30 SE (NMP Overlay) Source Date: 1993 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
Interpreted by Mrs C A Dyer, RCHME APU, Thames Valley National Mapping Project, (1995)
SP30SE 175, NMR, NMR Monument Detail, (1993)
Multiple AP's assessed by RCHME APU, MOD, NMR, Ordnance Survey. All at NMR, Vertical and Oblique air photographs,
SMR 15120, SMR, Oxfordshire Sites and Monuments Record, (1995)
Multiple AP's assessed by RCHME APU, Ordnance Survey, MOD, NMR, Vertical and Oblique air photographs held at NMR,
NMR SP30SE 174, NMR, NMR Monument Detail, (1993)
Interpreted by Mrs C A Dyer, RCHME APU, Thames Valley National Mapping Project, (1995)
SMR, Oxfordshire Sites and Monuments Record, (1995)
Multiple AP's assessed by RCHME APU, Ordnance Survey, MOD, NMR, Vertical and Oblique air photographs held at NMR,
Multiple AP's assessed by RCHME APU, MOD, Ordnance Survey, NMR, Vertical and Oblique prints held at NMR,
SP30SE 174, NMR, NMR Monument Detail, (1993)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.