Scheduled Monument: Four bowl barrows 710m north, 750m north west and 950m north west of Clyffe House (1016378)

EXTRACT FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE'S RECORD OF SCHEDULED MONUMENTS MONUMENT: Four bowl barows 710m north, 750m north west and 950m north west of Clyffe House PARISH: TOLPUDDLE DISTRICT: WEST DORSET COUNTY: DORSET NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 29583 NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE(S): SY78049283, SY77939285, SY77789299 DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT The monument, which lies within three areas of protection, includes four bowl barrows 710m north, 750m north west and 950m west of Clyffe House. The barrows range in diameter between 12m and 20m and in height between 0.2m and 1.6m. All are surrounded by quarry ditches from which material was excavated during their construction. Where these are not visible on the surface they have become infilled over the years and survive as buried features some 2m wide. A fifth barrow 100m to the north of the most easterly barrow cannot be identified on the ground and is not included in the scheduling. All fence posts are excluded from the scheduling although the ground beneath these features is included. ASSESSMENT OF IMPORTANCE 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 barrows 710m north, 750m north west and 950m west of Clyffe House are well preserved examples of their class and will contain archaeological remains providing information about Bronze Age burial practices, economy and environment. SCHEDULING HISTORY Monument included in the Schedule on 23rd February 1961 as: COUNTY/NUMBER: Dorset 531 NAME: Group of Four Round Barrows on Southover Heath The reference of this monument is now: NATIONAL MONUMENT NUMBER: 29583 NAME: Four bowl barows 710m north, 750m north west and 950m north west of Clyffe House SCHEDULING REVISED ON 22nd December 1997

Record last edited

Oct 7 2024 2:08PM