Ancient Monuments

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Torrisholme bowl barrow

A Scheduled Monument in Morecambe, Lancashire

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Coordinates

Latitude: 54.0713 / 54°4'16"N

Longitude: -2.8272 / 2°49'37"W

OS Eastings: 345968.499125

OS Northings: 464250.88769

OS Grid: SD459642

Mapcode National: GBR 8PPC.Q9

Mapcode Global: WH840.JXYQ

Entry Name: Torrisholme bowl barrow

Scheduled Date: 15 January 1970

Last Amended: 21 September 1994

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1008912

English Heritage Legacy ID: 23715

County: Lancashire

Civil Parish: Morecambe

Built-Up Area: Morecambe

Traditional County: Lancashire

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Lancashire

Church of England Parish: Torrisholme The Ascension

Church of England Diocese: Blackburn

Details

The monument includes Torrisholme bowl barrow located on the summit of a small
hill north east of Torrisholme village. It includes a flat topped circular
mound of earth and small stones measuring 32m in diameter and up to 2.3m high
on the steeply sloping east side, where it incorporates the remains of an old
field boundary, and 1.4m high on the north side. Also included within the
scheduling is an Ordnance Survey triangulation station located upon the
barrow's summit.

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.

Despite some disturbance to the monument by a field boundary on its eastern
side and an Ordnance Survey triangulation station on its summit, Torrisholme
bowl barrow survives reasonably well. It is not known to have been excavated
and will contain undisturbed archaeological deposits within the mound and upon
the old landsurface beneath.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Darvill, T, MPP Single Monument Class Descriptions - Bowl Barrows, (1989)
SMR No. 429, Lancs SMR, Torrisholme Barrow, (1993)
To Lancs SMR, Geary, E, Torrisholme Barrow, (1953)
To Robinson,K.D. (MPPFW), Capstick, B. (FMW), (1993)

Source: Historic England

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