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.
Despite an early investigation of the mound, the bowl barrow west of Walford
Farm is a well preserved example of this class of monument. The barrow mound
will retain details of its method of construction and evidence for the burial
practices of its builders. The accumulated ditch fills will contain
environmental evidence of activity at the barrow and land use around it. The
buried ground surface beneath the mound itself will similarly preserve
environmental evidence for the landscape in which the barrow was constructed.
The 18th century investigation of this barrow, while causing only slight
disturbance to the mound, has demonstrated the importance of its deposits.
Other records indicate its probable association with similar barrows, now
destroyed. The barrow has group value drawn from surrounding monuments, and
its roadside position makes this barrow a clearly visible landmark.
Details
The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a bowl barrow
situated on level ground south of the River Teme and immediately south of the
A4113. The barrow consists of an earthen mound, circular in form, c.20m
diameter and c.1.2m high. Material for the construction of the barrow mound
will have been quarried from a surrounding ditch, which is now completely
infilled and no longer visible on the surface. The barrow mound has a slightly
flattened top which may have resulted from an archaeological investigation, in
1736, when an urn containing human bone was found. The barrow stands in an
archaeologically rich area, which includes the Iron Age hillforts of
Brandon Camp and Coxall Knoll, two Roman camps, and the Romano-British town of
Leintwardine to the east on a Roman road (all the subject 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.
