Scheduled Monument: Bowl barrow on East Hill near Sydling Woods (SM27454)

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. This bowl barrow on East Hill near Sydling Woods, despite being reduced in height by ploughing, will include within its buried deposits archaeological remains containing information about Bronze Age burial practices, economy and environment. History Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details. Details The monument includes a bowl barrow, the most southerly of a group of three barrows aligned north west-south east on East Hill, near Sydling Woods. The barrow has a mound which has been reduced in height by ploughing and is visible as a low mound 12m in diameter and c.0.3m high. Surrounding 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 2m wide. Two additional barrows which lie 50m and 100m to the north west are the subject of separate schedulings. The barrows lie within the area of an ancient field system which has largely been levelled by cultivation and which is consequently not included in the scheduling. 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.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2014 3:58PM