Ancient Monuments

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Pair of bowl barrows immediately south of Blindwell Wood

A Scheduled Monument in Leafield, Oxfordshire

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.8294 / 51°49'45"N

Longitude: -1.5229 / 1°31'22"W

OS Eastings: 432974.696184

OS Northings: 214637.285522

OS Grid: SP329146

Mapcode National: GBR 6V4.CSJ

Mapcode Global: VHBZV.K88Y

Entry Name: Pair of bowl barrows immediately south of Blindwell Wood

Scheduled Date: 13 November 1972

Last Amended: 1 July 1996

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1015212

English Heritage Legacy ID: 21843

County: Oxfordshire

Civil Parish: Leafield

Built-Up Area: Leafield

Traditional County: Oxfordshire

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Oxfordshire

Church of England Parish: Witney

Church of England Diocese: Oxford

Details

The monument includes a pair of Bronze Age bowl barrows aligned roughly north
east-south west along a false crest, immediately south of Blindwell Wood. The
barrow to the north east has an irregular stony mound c.34m east-west, 20m
north-south and 1.6m high. The irregular shape appears to be due to the
northern side of the mound having been quarried into.
The mound to the south west has been reduced in height by cultivation. It has
a diameter of c.20m and stands up to 0.5m high. It is surrounded by a
partly infilled quarry ditch which is best seen to the east and south. This
ditch is c.3m wide.
Excluded from the scheduling are the north-south running hedge and fence which
cross both barrows, although the land beneath, including the hedge bank, 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.

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.

The bowl barrows south of Blindwell Wood survive as earthworks despite
part quarrying and cultivation. They are not believed to have been excavated
and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating
to their construction.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
PRN 1553 A, C.A.O., 1 [SP32981464] TUMULUS [OE] [A], (1984)
PRN 1553 B, C.A.O., 2 [SP32981460] TUMULUS [OE] (Site of) [B], (1984)
PRN 1553 B, C.A.O., 2 [SP32981460] TUMULUS [OE] (Site of) [B], (1984)
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:10000 Series
Source Date: 1980
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:
SP 31 SW

Source: Historic England

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