Scheduled Monument: Bull Barrow on Holt Heath (SM29595)

EXTRACT FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE'S RECORD OF SCHEDULED MONUMENTS MONUMENT: Bull Barrow on Holt Heath PARISH: HOLT DISTRICT: EAST DORSET COUNTY: DORSET NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 29595 NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE(S): SU05540498 DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT The monument includes a bowl barrow, known as Bull Barrow, 270m south of Crooked Withies Farm, situated in a prominent position on top of a hill. The barrow has a mound 16m in diameter and 1.3m high, surrounded by a quarry ditch from which material to construct the mound was derived. This is visible on the surface as a depression 2m wide on the northern and southern sides of the mound and elsewhere survives as a buried feature. The mound is flat topped and may have been dug in the past. Flint knapping debris and two flint scrapers were recovered from mound erosion debris. 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. Bull Barrow on Holt Heath is a well preserved example of its class of monument and will contain archaeological remains providing information about Bronze Age beliefs, economy and environment. SCHEDULING HISTORY Monument included in the Schedule on 8th January 1931 as: COUNTY/NUMBER: Dorset 106 NAME: Bull Barrow on Holt Heath The reference of this monument is now: NATIONAL MONUMENT NUMBER: 29595 NAME: Bull Barrow on Holt Heath SCHEDULING AFFIRMED ON 29th April 1998

Record last edited

Feb 15 2017 1:55PM