Bowl barrow 160m north west of the Farway Common Road, forming part of a dispersed barrow group on Farway Hill

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 Farway Hill barrows, a number of which form a barrow cemetery, comprise the central section of the most extensive and densest concentration of barrows in Devon. Their association with Farway Castle adds additional depth to this relict ritual landscape. Limited archaeological excavations of some of the barrows have revealed that they have a remarkable diversity in size and form, and in the nature of their funerary contents. Despite evidence of partial excavation, a significant proportion of the buried features of this barrow remain intact, including the old land surface which will contain evidence of the past environment. This barrow forms an integral part of the wider group.

Details

The Farway Hill barrows are situated in south east Devon on the high ground of an extensive Greensand plateau in an area some 8km south of Honiton where it forms the watershed of the River Sid. These funerary monuments are grouped around Farway Castle, a substantial circular earthwork enclosure which is believed to be contemporary. The monument is situated on the highest part of a ridge and includes a bowl barrow with an original diameter of about 15m and height of 1.3m. It is surrounded by a largely infilled ditch about 2m wide and 0.4m deep, from which material was quarried for the construction of the barrow. The ditch is prone to waterlogging. Exposed peaty soil on the top of the mound contains flinty stones up to 15cm in size. There is an intrusion in the centre of the mound, possibly representing an antiquarian excavation, and a forestry track overlies the north west edge of the mound.

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.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

24970

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Grinsell, L V, Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society in The Barrows of South and East Devon, Vol. 41, (1983), 5-46
Simpson, S, Noble, S, Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit Report in Archaeological Survey & Management Study of Areas of E Devon, Vol. 93.38, (1993)
Fox, A, Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society in The Broad Down (Farway) Necropolis, Vol. 4, (1948), 1-19

End of official list entry

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