Scheduled Monument: Three bowl barrows on Cannon Hill (1015999)

List entry Description Summary of Monument Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details. 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 on Cannon Hill are comparatively well preserved examples of their class and will contain archaeological remains providing information about Bronze Age burial practices, economy and environment. History Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details. Details The monument, which lies within three areas, includes three bowl barrows on Cannon Hill. The western barrow lies near the crest of the hill and has a mound, 10m in diameter and 1m high, surrounded by a quarry ditch from which material was excavated during its construction. This is visible in places as a slight depression 2m wide. The central barrow, situated in a prominent position at the end of the ridge c.300m to the east, has a flat-topped mound 16.5m in diameter and c.1m high. The quarry ditch surrounding this mound is no longer visible but will survive as a buried feature 2m wide. The eastern mound lies on lower ground below the end of the ridge c.250m to the ESE. It has a mound, 28m in diameter and 2.6m high, surrounded by a quarry ditch which is visible in places as a depression 3m wide and 0.3m deep. All fence posts are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath these features is included. 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. Selected Sources Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details National Grid Reference: SU 04037 01046, SU 04360 01040, SU 04611 00941

Record last edited

Jan 22 2025 4:04PM