Summary
The surface and buried remains of three Neolithic long barrows, a Bronze Age round barrow and a smaller prehistoric ditched enclosure.
Reasons for Designation
The group of three long barrows, one round barrow and a C-shaped prehistoric enclosure south-west of Churchbell Plantation are scheduled for the following principal reasons:
* Survival: the remains of the barrows and the prehistoric enclosure have been confirmed to survive as buried features from geophysical survey, and are visible as clearly defined cropmarks;
* Potential: for the buried archaeological deposits which retain considerable potential to provide evidence relating to social organisation and demographics, cultural associations, human development, disease, diet, and death rituals. Buried environmental evidence can also inform us about the landscape in which the barrows were constructed;
* Period: as one of very few monument types dating to the early prehistoric period, the long barrows are highly representative of the Neolithic, whilst the round barrow is highly representative of the Bronze Age;
* Rarity: the long barrows are an example of a monument type which is rare nationally, and both barrows are one of very few monument types to offer us insights into the lives and deaths of early prehistoric communities in this country;
* Group value: for the close grouping of these barrows all situated within 90m of each other demonstrating that there was considerable activity in this location in the Neolithic and Bronze Age period. They also form part of the wider significant group of long barrows in the Lincolnshire Wolds.
History
Long barrows and chambered tombs are the main forms of Neolithic funerary monument, constructed from before 3800 BC with new monuments continuing to be built throughout the 4th millennium BC. Where they are precisely dated it appears their primary use for burial rarely lasted longer than about 100 years. Generally comprising long, linear earthen mounds or stone cairns, often flanked by ditches, they can appear as distinctive features in the landscape. They measure up to about 100m in length, 35m in width and 4m in height, and are sometimes trapezoidal or oval in plan. Earthen long barrows are found mostly in southern and eastern England and are usually unchambered, although some examples have been found to contain timber mortuary structures. Regional variation in construction is generally a reflection of locally available resources. Megalithic or stone chambered tombs are most common in Scotland and Wales but are also found in those parts of England with ready access to the large stones and boulders from which they are constructed, especially the Cotswolds, the South-West and Kent. There are around 540 long barrows recorded nationally.
Long barrows of the Lincolnshire Wolds have been identified as a distinct regional grouping of monuments in which the flanking ditches are continued around the ends of the barrow mound, either continuously or broken by a single causeway towards one end. A small number survive as earthworks but the majority are known from crop marks and soil marks where no or very low mounds are evident on the surface. Not all Lincolnshire long barrows had mounds and our current understanding of Neolithic mortuary practices in this part of the country is that the large barrow mound was in fact the final phase of construction which was not reached by all monuments. Previously many of the sites where only the ditched enclosure is known have been interpreted as a barrow where the mound has been degraded or removed by subsequent agricultural activity. In some cases the ditched enclosure (mortuary enclosure) represents a monument which never developed a mound.
Round barrows are the most numerous of various prehistoric funerary monuments. The main period of round barrow construction occurred in the Early Bronze Age between about 2200-1500 BC. (a period when cremation succeeded inhumation as the primary burial rite) although Neolithic examples are known from as early as 3000 BC. In general round barrows comprise a rounded earthen mound or stone cairn, the earthen examples usually having a surrounding ditch and occasionally an outer bank.
The three long barrows and a round barrow south-west of Churchbell Plantation survive as cropmarks.
The northernmost long barrow of the group (long barrow 1) was first recorded on aerial photographs taken in 1973. In 1997 they were included in the Gazetteer of Neolithic Elongated Enclosures and Extant Long Barrows in (Historic) Lincolnshire No.22. Geophysical survey was carried out in April 2018.
The south-west long barrow (long barrow 2) was first recorded as a faint cropmark on oblique aerial photographs taken in 1991. It was noted in 2018 as an extremely slight earthwork, and geophysical survey the same year identified the complete circuit of the ditch.
Immediately south-west of long barrow 2 is a much smaller, ditched feature, confirmed by geophysical survey in 2018.
The south-east long barrow in the group (long barrow 3) was also first recorded as a faint cropmark on oblique aerial photographs taken in 1991. The encircling ditch was confirmed by geophysical survey in 2018.
The round barrow was first identified in 1992 as part of the National Mapping Programme. It was also confirmed by geophysical survey in 2018.
The form and positions of all the barrows were more accurately mapped following the geophysical survey carried out by Heritage Lincolnshire as part of the Lincolnshire Long Barrows project in 2018.
Details
Principal Elements
The monument consists of three Neolithic long barrows, a Bronze Age round barrow and a smaller prehistoric diched enclosure. The northern long barrow (for convenience described below as long barrow 1) is located at TF 36039 76028. The south-western long barrow (for convenience described as long barrow 2) is located 60m west-north-west of long barrow 1. The south-eastern long barrow (for convenience described as long barrow 3) is located 70m south-east of long barrow 1. The round barrow is located 90m south-east of long barrow 1.
Description
All of the barrows survive as cropmarks and lie below the crest of the hill south of Bluestone Heath Road (1.2km northwest of South Ormsby) and north of the valley of a small brook that eventually joins Calceby Beck.
Northern long barrow (Long Barrow 1)
This long barrow is situated on the upper slope towards the tip of the spur, on the south facing valley side. It is aligned north-east to south-west and is an oblong enclosure with a convex east end, with the west end being less clearly defined on aerial photographs. The site is overridden by lines of levelled ridge and furrow cultivation. There are no visible earthwork remains. Geophysical survey confirmed the complete circuit of the ditch. The internal measurements of the barrow are 45.95m in length and between 17.7m and 21.9m in width, the slightly wider end towards the north-east. The enclosure ditch is around 2m wide.
Southwestern long barrow (Long Barrow 2)
The barrow is aligned east-west. It lies on the south-facing slope at approximately 76m above ordnance datum (AOD). It is very faintly visible as an earthwork. The cropmark barrow was mapped as an oblong ditched enclosure measuring 18m by 49m and aligned east-north-east to west-south-west. Geophysical survey has identified the complete circuit of the ditch showing the barrow to be 47.8m long by 12.93 wide internally with no apparent widening at either end. The enclosure ditch is about 2m wide.
Southeastern long barrow (Long Barrow 3)
The barrow is aligned east-west and is visible as a cropmark but there is no earthwork visible on the ground. The encircling ditch was identified by geophysical survey. The internal measurements are 31.5m long and vary between 15.5m and 10.2m wide, with the broader end to the east. Long barrow 1 lies 60m to the west-north-west and long barrow 2 lies 80m to the north-north-west.
Round Barrow
The round barrow lies immediately south of long barrow 3 and is centred at TF3616 7589. It is visible as a cropmark from aerial photographs, but there are no visible earthwork remains. It is a circular enclosure 20m in diameter defined by a ditch.
Prehistoric ditched enclosure
Immediately south-west of long barrow 2 is a C-shaped feature identified by geophysical survey. Orientated east-west it measures 10m by 2.9m internally with a ditch 1.4m wide. There is an opening on the northern side of the enclosure 4.4m wide. The feature does not have the same character as the long barrows or the round barrow, but is included in the scheduled area due to its value as part of the group.
Valuable archaeological deposits will be preserved on any buried ground surface and in the fills of the ditches of the long barrows, round barrow and smaller ditched enclosure. These will provide rare information concerning the dating and construction of the monument and the sequence of mortuary practices at the site. The same deposits will also retain environmental evidence illustrating the nature of the landscape in which the monument was set.
The three long barrows, one round barrow and C-shaped ditched enclosure form a group. They are all situated within 90m of each other and demonstrate that there was considerable activity in this location in the Neolithic and Bronze Age period. They also form part of the wider significant group of long barrows in the Lincolnshire Wolds.
Extent of Scheduling
The scheduling takes in all of the five closely-grouped barrows and prehistoric enclosure and includes a 5m buffer zone which is considered necessary for the support and preservation of the monument.
