Details

Gorsey Low bowl barrow is an exceptionally large and well preserved earthen
barrow in an unusual low-lying location on the south-western ridges of the
limestone plateau of Derbyshire. The monument includes a sub-circular mound,
which measures 46m by 40m by c.2m high, and the surrounding construction ditch
which is c.5m wide and buried under accumulated soil and debris. During a
partial excavation carried out by Thomas Bateman in 1845, a number of flint
artefacts and a potsherd were found which indicate a Bronze Age date for the
barrow.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 5 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

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.

Although partially disturbed by excavation and ploughing, Gorsey Low bowl
barrow is still a very well preserved and largely intact example. Unusually
for the Peak District this barrow is known to be surrounded by a ditch.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Barnatt, J, The Peak District Barrow Survey (1989), (1989)
Barnatt, J, The Peak District Barrow Survey (1989), (1989)
Bateman, T, Vestiges of the Antiquities of Derbyshire, (1849)
Marsden, B M, The Burial Mounds of Derbyshire , (1977)

Source: Historic England