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.
The bowl barrow on Weavers Down situated 630m NNW of Allington Cottage
survives well despite some later disturbance and can be expected to retain
archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the monument and
the environment in which it was constructed. The monument is closely
associated with a number of other round barrow cemeteries and barrow groups
within the area of Woolmer Forest which together constitute a particularly
well-preserved ritual landscape of the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age periods.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow of Late Neolithic or Bronze Age date,
prominently situated within Woolmer Forest at the end of short spur projecting
south from Weavers Down, commanding extensive views to the south as far as
Butser Hill. It is one of a large number of isolated barrows, barrow groups
and round barrow cemeteries located in and around Woolmer Forest, some of
which are the subject of separate schedulings.
The barrow is surrounded by a later tree ring of drystone walling, 22m in
diameter and up to 2m high, within which it survives as a circular, flat-
topped mound standing a further 0.5m above the tree ring in the centre. A
surrounding quarry ditch, from which material would have been obtained for the
mound's construction, is likely to survive buried beneath the later tree ring.
Further buried remains associated with the original construction and use of
the monument, including burials, grave pits, burial goods, and the original
ground surface can also be expected to survive beneath the mound. Partial
excavation in 1883 of four similar barrows situated on Weavers Down revealed
fragments of a hollowed tree trunk coffin and human hair within one, and the
remains of a human cremation burial within another.
All walling is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath it 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.
