Bowl barrow on Roydon Common, 800m south west of Hall Farm

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 800m south west of Hall Farm survives well in an area of undisturbed heathland. The mound and the soils buried beneath it will contain archaeological information concerning the construction of the barrow and the manner and duration of its use, and will also preserve evidence for the local environment at that time. It has additional interest as one of a group of three sited in close proximity and in relation to other barrows within the same locality which, as a group, have a broader significance for the study of the character and distribution of the prehistoric population of the area.

Details

The monument includes a bowl barrow, prominently sited on a slight knoll above a south facing scarp, overlooking the minor road between Rising Lodge and Roydon. The barrow is visible as an earthen mound, standing to a height of c.1.5m and covering a circular area c.30m in diameter. It is probable that the mound is encircled by a ditch from which earth was dug during the construction of the barrow, although this has become infilled and can no longer be traced on the ground surface. It will, however, survive as a buried feature. The barrow is the largest of a group of three; the other two lying c.75m ENE and 65m east of it respectively are the subjects of separate schedulings.

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:

21355

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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