Round barrow in Raincliffe Woods, 420m north of Osborne Lodge

Reasons for Designation

Round barrows 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 mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered single or multiple burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as cemeteries and often acted as a focus of 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 examples recorded nationally (many more have already been destroyed), occurring across most of Britain, including the Wessex area where it is often possible to classify them more closely, for example as bowl or bell barrows. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable variation in 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 limited disturbance, the round barrow in Raincliffe Woods, 420m north of Osborne Lodge, has survived well. Significant information about the original form of the barrow and the burials placed within it will be preserved. Evidence for earlier land use and the contemporary environment will also survive beneath the barrow mound. The barrow is situated in an area where there are other burial monuments as well as the remains of prehistoric land division. The association with similar monuments offers important scope for the study of the distribution of prehistoric activity across the landscape.

Details

The monument includes a round barrow which is situated in a prominent position at the top of the steep scarp slope on the northern edge of the Tabular Hills. The barrow has an earthen mound which measures up to 18m in diameter and stands 1.6m high. Partial excavation in the past has left a hollow in the centre of the mound. A modern footpath crosses the mound in an east-west direction and has been eroded into a shallow depression. A modern field boundary fence skirts the southern side of the monument and is not included within the scheduling.

The barrow lies at the edge of an area which has a concentration of prehistoric monuments dating from the Neolithic period to the Iron Age, including further burial monuments and the remains of prehistoric land division.

The modern field boundary fence which skirts the southern side of the monument is not included in the scheduling.

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:

35458

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Spratt, D A, Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology in North East Yorkshire in Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology of North East Yorkshire, Vol. 87, (1993)

End of official list entry

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