Scheduled Monument: Bowl barrow on Batcombe Down 450m south west of The Friary of St Francis (SM29571)

EXTRACT FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE'S RECORD OF SCHEDULED MONUMENTS MONUMENT: Bowl barrow on Batcombe Down 450m south west of The Friary of St Francis PARISH: BATCOMBE DISTRICT: WEST DORSET COUNTY: DORSET NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 29571 NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE(S): ST62840405 DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT The monument includes a bowl barrow on Batcombe Down 450m south west of The Friary of St Francis. The barrow mound, previously recorded as being 10m in diameter and 0.3m high, is no longer visible. Surrounding the area of the mound is a quarry ditch from which material was excavated during its construction. This has become infilled over the years but survives as a buried feature approximately 2m wide. The barrow lies within an area of prehistoric field system. ASSESSMENT OF IMPORTANCE 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. The bowl barrow on Batcombe Down 450m south west of the Friary of St Francis, although reduced in height by ploughing, will contain archaeological remains providing information about Bronze Age burial practices, economy and environment. SCHEDULING HISTORY Monument included in the Schedule on 9th July 1965 as: COUNTY/NUMBER: Dorset 181 NAME: Mound on Batcombe Down The reference of this monument is now: NATIONAL MONUMENT NUMBER: 29571 NAME: Bowl barrow on Batcombe Down 450m south west of The Friary of St Francis SCHEDULING AFFIRMED ON 08th December 1997

Record last edited

Oct 11 2016 12:27PM