Scheduled Monument: Bowl barrow 25m north west of Stapehill Village Hall (SM27475)

List entry Description Summary of Monument Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details. 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. The bowl barrow 25m north west of Stapehill Village Hall is a well preserved example of its class and will contain archaeological remains providing 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 25m north west of Stapehill Village Hall, one of a dispersed group of barrows on the former heathland in this area. The barrow has a mound, 16m in diameter and 1.9m high, surrounded by a quarry ditch from which material was excavated during its construction. This has become infilled over the years but survives as a buried feature c.2m wide. The centre of the mound is slightly hollowed, possibly as a result of unrecorded antiquarian excavation. All fence posts, concrete steps, gravel surfaces, sheds and the electricity substation are excluded from the scheduled area although the ground beneath these features has been included. 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. Selected Sources Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details National Grid Reference: SU 04827 00373

Record last edited

May 6 2015 12:23PM