Reasons for Designation
Exmoor is the most easterly of the three main upland areas in the south
western peninsula of England. In contrast to the others, Dartmoor and
Bodmin Moor, there has been no history of antiquarian research and little
excavation of its monuments. However, detailed survey work by the Royal
Commission on the Historical Monuments of England has confirmed a
comparable richness of archaeological remains, with evidence of human
exploitation and occupation from the Mesolithic period to the present day.
Many of the field monuments surviving on Exmoor date from the later
prehistoric period. Examples include stone settings, stone alignments,
standing stones, and burial mounds (`barrows'). Bowl barrows, the most
numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating to the Late
Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most examples belonging to
the period 2400-1500BC. 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. Over 370 bowl barrows, varying in diameter
from 2m to 35m, have been recorded on Exmoor. Many of these are found on
or close to the summits of the three east-west ridges which cross the moor
- the southern escarpment, the central ridge, and the northern ridge -
whilst individual barrows and groups may also be found on lower lying
ground and hillslopes. Those which occupy prominent locations form a major
visual element in the modern landscape. Their considerable variation in
form and longevity as a monument type provide important information on the
diversity of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric
communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a
substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of
protection.
Despite the surface of the mound having been disturbed by animal activity,
the bowl barrow on Lype Hill, 750m north east of Heath Pault Cross
survives comparatively well and will contain archaeological deposits and
environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which
it was constructed. Additionally, it is one of a number of round barrows
which occupy prominent positions on or near a well defined course along
the Brendon Hills, sometimes referred to as the Brendon Hills Ridge.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow of prehistoric date located just below
the summit of Lype Hill which forms the western edge of the Brendon Hills,
a broad ridge which dominates the eastern region of Exmoor. The barrow is
formed by a near circular flat-topped mound with a height of 1m and a
maximum diameter of 15.8m. In keeping with other bowl barrows in the
region, the mound is surrounded by a ditch from which material was
quarried for the construction of the mound and, although it is no longer
clearly visible at ground level, the ditch will survive as a buried
feature up to 2m wide.
All fencing and fence posts are excluded from the scheduling, although the
ground beneath these features is 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.
