Reasons for Designation
Exmoor is the most easterly of the three main upland areas in the south
western peninsula of England. In contrast to the others, Dartmoor and
Bodmin Moor, there has been no history of antiquarian research and little
excavation of its monuments. However, detailed survey work by the Royal
Commission on the Historical Monuments of England has confirmed a
comparable richness of archaeological remains, with evidence of human
exploitation and occupation from the Mesolithic period to the present day.
Many of the field monuments surviving on Exmoor date from the later
prehistoric period. Examples include stone settings, stone alignments,
standing stones, and burial mounds (`barrows'). Bowl barrows, the most
numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating to the Late
Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most examples belonging to
the period 2400-1500BC. 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. Over 370 bowl barrows, varying in diameter
from 2m to 35m, have been recorded on Exmoor. Many of these are found on
or close to the summits of the three east-west ridges which cross the moor
- the southern escarpment, the central ridge, and the northern ridge -
whilst individual barrows and groups may also be found on lower lying
ground and hillslopes. Those which occupy prominent locations form a major
visual element in the modern landscape. Their considerable variation in
form and longevity as a monument type provide important information on the
diversity of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric
communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a
substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of
protection.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow located in an area known locally as
Higher Hill, situated to the south west of Tilsey Plantation on the summit
a broad ridge which extends along the Brendon Hills area of Exmoor.
The barrow is formed of a large irregular mound about 19.5m in diameter
and 1.2m high. In keeping with other bowl barrows in the region, the mound
is surrounded by a ditch from which material was quarried for its
construction and, although it is no longer visible at ground level, the
ditch will survive as a buried feature up to 2m wide. A report of a
partial excavation of a barrow in 1833 which revealed `a ring of stones
encircling a quantity of ashes' along with the discovery of a stone or
flint spearhead, is believed to refer to this barrow. A shallow depression
across the surface of the mound may be the result of this antiquarian
partial excavation.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
35319
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
