Four bowl barrows 340m north west of Mount Pleasant Farm

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.

Despite ploughing, the four bowl barrows 340m north west of Mount Pleasant Farm survive well on a prominent ridge top location. Archaeological and environmental information relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed survives in and under these mounds.

Details

This monument includes four bowl barrows situated on the summit of a high ridge to the south west of Patchacott. This location overlooks the valleys of tributaries to both the Rivers Wolf and Lew. It commands a high vantage point with extensive views to both Dartmoor and Exmoor. The northern barrow measures 27.4m in diameter and is up to 1.2m high. The western of the two central barrows measures 30.7m in diameter and 1.1m high, whilst the other one stands to the same height and has a diameter of 30.6m. This barrow is crossed by a large field bank. The southern barrow is circular and measures 23.8m in diameter and is 0.5m high. Each barrow is surrounded by a quarry ditch from which material to construct the mound was derived. These survive mainly as buried features, though one ditch is visible as a 0.2m deep and 3.2m wide hollow to the south of the eastern of the two central barrows. The field boundary crossing one of the barrows is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath 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:

32194

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
National Archaeological Record, SX49NE3D,
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX49NE14, (1987)
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX49NE4, (1987)
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX49NE15, (1982)

End of official list entry

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