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.
Despite some surface disturbance to the mound, the bowl barrow 700m north
east of Burrow Farm survives comparatively well and will contain
archaeological deposits and environmental evidence relating to the monument
and the landscape in which it was constructed. Additionally, it is one of a
number of round barrows which occupy prominent positions on or near a
well-defined course along the Brendon Hills known as the Brendon Hills
Ridgeway.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow located on the summit of a broad ridge
which extends through the Brendon Hills area of Exmoor. The bowl barrow
includes a circular earthen mound 14.5m in diameter and 0.4m high. In keeping
with other bowl barrows in the region, the mound is surrounded by a ditch from
which material was quarried for the construction of the mound and, although it
is no longer visible at ground level, it will survive as a buried feature with
a maximum estimated width of 2m wide.
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.
