Scheduled Monument: Bowl barrow 400m north east of Manor Farm, part of the Pound Hill round barrow cemetery (1011692)

EXTRACT FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE'S RECORD OF SCHEDULED MONUMENTS MONUMENT: Bowl barrow 400m north east of Manor Farm, part of the Pound Hill round barrow cemetery PARISH: WINTERBOURNE ABBAS DISTRICT: WEST DORSET COUNTY: DORSET NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 22931 NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE(S): SY62309082 DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT The monument includes a bowl barrow, one of five forming a round barrow cemetery situated on Pound Hill, a chalk ridge with views over the South Winterbourne valley to the south, in an area of the South Dorset Downs. The barrow has a mound composed of earth, flint and chalk, with a maximum diameter of 12m and a maximum height of c.2m. The mound shows some signs of disturbance. Surrounding the mound is a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument. This is no longer visible at ground level as it has become infilled over the years, but it will survive as a buried feature c.2m wide. ASSESSMENT OF IMPORTANCE Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They comprise closely-spaced groups of up to 30 round barrows - rubble or earthen mounds covering single or multiple burials. Most cemeteries developed over a considerable period of time, often many centuries, and in some cases acted as a focus for burials as late as the early medieval period. They exhibit considerable diversity of burial rite, plan and form, frequently including several different types of round barrow, occasionally associated with earlier long barrows. Where large scale investigation has been undertaken around them, contemporary or later "flat" burials between the barrow mounds have often been revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland Britain, with a marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases, they are clustered around other important contemporary monuments such as henges. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape, whilst their diversity and their longevity as a monument type provide important information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving or partly-surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.The bowl barrow 400m north east of Manor Farm survives well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed. SCHEDULING HISTORY Monument included in the Schedule on 31st October 1957 as part of: COUNTY/NUMBER: Dorset 320 NAME: Two barrows 500 yards north east of village, Winterbourne Abbas The reference of this monument is now: NATIONAL MONUMENT NUMBER: 22931 NAME: Bowl barrow 400m north east of Manor Farm, part of the Pound Hill round barrow cemetery SCHEDULING AFFIRMED ON 09th May 1995

Record last edited

May 31 2011 12:21PM