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 three bowl barrows 670m and 775m north west of Homer Downs survive
reasonably well, the two to the south east having prominent mounds. Despite
evidence for some ploughing down of the north west barrow, all the mounds
remain substantially intact, as will the underlying old land surface, any
surviving original deposits associated with them, and the below ground remains
of the ditch around the mound of the north west barrow. Their location on a
ridge top illustrates well the important role of topography in Bronze Age
funerary activity.
Details
The monument includes three prehistoric bowl barrows, situated above an east
slope on a spur of a ridge running north from Trendeal. The three barrows form
a roughly linear group running north west-south east. The scheduling is
divided into two separate areas of protection.
The north western barrow has an earthen mound 13m in diameter and 0.5m high,
with a fairly level top. A buried ditch around the mound, approximately 3m
wide, is visible on aerial photographs.
The central barrow has a prominent earthen mound 25.2m in diameter and 1.2m
high, with a regular, gently sloping profile. The south eastern barrow has a
prominent earthen mound 22.5m in diameter and 1m high, with a regular, gently
sloping profile.
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.
