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 460m south of Lower Court is a well preserved example of this
class of monument. Despite indications of an early investigation, the mound
will retain details of its construction and evidence for the burial, or
burials, within it, furthering our understanding of the technology and beliefs
of its builders. Material accumulated in the ditch will preserve evidence of
activity at the barrow, and of the prehistoric landscape in which the barrow
was constructed, as will the buried ground surface beneath the mound itself.
Due to its proximity to the river, the ditch deposits are likely to be
waterlogged, increasing the likelihood of organic remains surviving within
them. The barrow is near to a second barrow and a cup and ring marked stone,
and this association enhances interest in the individual monuments.
Details
The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a bowl barrow,
situated on the floodplain of the Lugg River, and 70m from the river itself.
The barrow is in a pasture field known as The Cott, which is prone to
flooding. The remains include an earthen mound of circular form, c.35m
diameter and c.1.8m high. A slight depression extends in an arc half way round
the east side of the mound, which may be the result of an early investigation
of the barrow. Material for the construction of the mound will have been
obtained from a surrounding ditch, which is no longer visible on the surface.
The earthwork remains of a barrow of similar diameter are situated 280m north
west of the monument, and are the subject of a separate scheduling. A cup and
ring marked stone, moved from the vicinity of this neighbouring barrow, is now
situated in the corner of the field immediately north of the monument but is
not included in this scheduling.
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.
