Saucer barrow on Coxford Heath, 480m south west of Highfield House

Reasons for Designation

Saucer barrows are funerary monuments of the Early Bronze Age, most examples dating to between 1800 and l200 BC. They occur either in isolation or in barrow cemeteries (closely-spaced groups of round barrows). They were constructed as a circular area of level ground defined by a bank and internal ditch and largely occupied by a single low, squat mound covering one or more burials, usually in a pit. The burials, either inhumations or cremations, are sometimes accompanied by pottery vessels, tools and personal ornaments. Saucer barrows are one of the rarest recognised forms of round barrow, with about 60 known examples nationally, most of which are in Wessex. The presence of grave goods within the barrows provides important evidence for chronological and cultural links amongst prehistoric communities over a wide area of southern England as well as providing an insight into their beliefs and social organisation. As a rare and fragile form of round barrow, all identified saucer barrows would normally be considered to be of national importance.

The saucer barrow on Coxford Heath, 480m south west of Highfield House survives well as a series of earthwork and buried remains. The monument will preserve archaeological information concerning the construction and date of the barrow. Evidence for the local environment at the time of construction will be contained in buried soils beneath the mound and banks and also in the ditch fill. A rare form of round barrow, it is associated with a further barrow, giving added interest and importance, and will contribute to an understanding of the character and development of the prehistoric landscape.

Details

The monument includes a saucer barrow located on Coxford Heath, approximately 480m south west of Highfield House. The barrow is situated on former heathland in the Good Sands upland region of north west Norfolk. A further round barrow lies approximately 500m to the north east and is the subject of a separate scheduling. The saucer barrow is situated at the top of a short east-facing slope and is visible as an earthen mound surrounded by a ditch with an external bank. The mound is circular in plan, measuring 24m in diameter and standing up to 2m above the base of the ditch on the downslope side. The ditch, measures up to 4m in width and 1m deep except for a length on the west and south west side which has been infilled but will survive as a buried feature. The external bank, measuring up to 3.5m wide and standing up to 0.75m above the general ground level, is visible around the outer edge of the ditch except on the west and the south west side of the barrow where the ground appears level. All fence posts are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them 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.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

35065

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Norfolk SMR, NF11280, (2001)

End of official list entry

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