Burnt mound in Fox Hollies Park, 140m south east of Round Pool

Reasons for Designation

A burnt mound is an accumulation of burnt (fire-crazed) stones, ash and charcoal, usually sited next to a river or lake. On excavation, some form of trough or basin capable of holding water is normally found in close association with the mound. The size of the mound can vary considerably; small examples may be under 0.5m high and less than 10m in diameter, larger examples may exceed 3m in height and be 35m in diameter. The shape of the mound ranges from circular to crescentic. The associated trough or basin may be found within the body of the mound or, more usually, immediately adjacent to it. At sites which are crescentic in shape the trough is normally found within the `arms' of the crescent and the mound has the appearance of having developed around it. The main phase of use of burnt mounds spans the Early, Middle and Late Bronze Age, a period of around 1000 years. The function of the mounds has been a matter of some debate, but it appears that cooking, using heated stones to boil water in a trough or tank, is the most likely use. Some excavated sites have revealed several phases of construction, indicating that individual sites were used more than once. Burnt mounds are found widely scattered throughout the British Isles, with around 100 examples identified in England. As a rare monument type which provides an insight into life in the Bronze Age, all well-preserved examples will normally be identified as nationally important.

The burnt mound in Fox Hollies Park, 140m south east of Round Pool is a well-preserved example of a mound located adjacent to a water source. It is expected to preserve evidence for its construction and use, as well as evidence of associated settlement remains and buried land surfaces which will provide important evidence of its relationship to Bronze Age society. In addition the waterlogged conditions will preserve environment and organic evidence such as weeds, pollen and seeds which will further understanding of the prehistoric environment surrounding the site.

Details

The monument includes the known extent of the buried and earthwork remains of a burnt mound in Fox Hollies Park lying to the north of Westley Brook. The burnt mound includes a low oval mound approximately 0.3m high and measuring 14m by 9m, orientated approximately east to west. The matrix of the mound is visible as an area of small heat-crazed cobbles in gritty black soil. A geophysical survey of the area revealed dense concentrations of stone as well as at least seven probable pits, three hearths and four troughs. In addition the line of the old stream course remains visible around the mound.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

35110

Legacy System:

RSM

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.