Ancient Monuments

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High Barrow

A Scheduled Monument in Holsworthy Hamlets, Devon

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Coordinates

Latitude: 50.8618 / 50°51'42"N

Longitude: -4.3586 / 4°21'30"W

OS Eastings: 234109.604763

OS Northings: 109567.80191

OS Grid: SS341095

Mapcode National: GBR KB.V1NY

Mapcode Global: FRA 16RT.HT2

Entry Name: High Barrow

Scheduled Date: 12 April 1957

Last Amended: 10 June 1998

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1017966

English Heritage Legacy ID: 30327

County: Devon

Civil Parish: Holsworthy Hamlets

Traditional County: Devon

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Devon

Church of England Parish: Sutcombe St Andrew

Church of England Diocese: Exeter

Details

This monument includes a bowl barrow situated on a high upland ridge
overlooking the valleys of tributaries to the River Waldon. The barrow
survives as a 2.8m high circular mound with a diameter of 34.6m. A segment 10m
wide and 8.9m deep has been cut into the mound on its south western side. This
cut once contained a Nissen Hut which has now been removed, but did not
disturb the original ground surface beneath the mound. Across the centre of
the mound is a trench which measures 4.1m wide and up to 1.2m deep and may be
the result of an archaeological excavation. The surrounding ditch from which
material to construct the mound was derived is partially visible, measures up
to 4.1m wide and 0.4m deep and survives elsewhere as a buried feature.

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 partial excavation and limited recent interference, the bowl barrow
known as High Barrow survives well in a prominent location and contains
archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the monument and its
surrounding landscape.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS30NW1, (1983)

Source: Historic England

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