Group of round barrows 750m north west of Ivy Cottage

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.

Despite having been reduced by ploughing, the four round barrows 750m north west of Ivy Cottage will contain archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed. A possible bell or disc barrow within this monument provides an unusual association, being a comparatively rare example of its class, which is likely to contain a burial of high status.

Details

The monument includes four round barrows located on the summit of a south facing slope, which rises steeply to the north and west, above Rookham at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills. The barrows follow an east to west alignment just below the crest of the hill in a field which was recorded as Barrow Ground on a 19th century parish map. Three of the barrows are of the bowl-shaped type and are believed to be of Late Neolithic to Bronze Age date. In a line from east to west, the first two barrows are visible at ground level and have mounds of approximately 10m in diameter by 0.15m high, and 23m in diameter by 0.6m high, and in common with other bowl barrows in the area, their mounds are surrounded by a ditch from which material was quarried during their construction. Although these quarry ditches are no longer visible at ground level, having become infilled over the centuries, they will survive as buried features about 2m wide. A further bowl barrow, located just to the west is no longer clearly definable at ground level. It is however visible on aerial photographs which indicate an overall diameter of approximately 40m inclusive of its surrounding quarry ditch. The fourth and westernmost round barrow is visible as an irregular spread of stone up to 0.4m high. It is 22m in diameter and is surrounded by a level berm of about 24m wide, which is itself enclosed by a quarry ditch that can be seen as a slight depression on the west side of the barrow. The whole surrounding ditch is visible on aerial photographs as a circular soil mark enclosing an area of up to 60m in diameter. The unusual form of this barrow displays characteristics that suggest it may be identified as a bell or a disc barrow. Such barrows are believed to be of Early to Middle Bronze Age date. An assemblage of worked flint typical of Bronze Age date was identified from the mound and the area around the barrow.

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:

34870

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Grinsell, L, Proceedings of Somerset Archaeology and Natural History Society in Somerset Barrows, Vol. 115 pt 2, (1971), 115
Grinsell, L, Proceedings of Somerset Archaeology and Natural History Society in Somerset Barrows, Vol. 115 pt 2, (1971), 115
Grinsell, L, Proceedings of Somerset Archaeology and Natural History Society in Somerset Barrows, Vol. 115 pt 2, (1971), 115
Grinsell, L, Proceedings of Somerset Archaeology and Natural History Society in Somerset Barrows, Vol. 115 pt 2, (1971), 115

Other
Duck, J, (2001)

End of official list entry

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