Details

The monument includes a round barrow situated on the eastern edge of Low Moor
overlooking Kirk Moor Beck to the south. This is the easternmost extent of the
sandstone, heather covered moor characteristic of the North York Moors. Today
the moor is little used but archaeological evidence indicates that this has
not always been the case. The prehistoric period in paricular saw intensive
use of the land for agricultural and ritual purposes. Remains of these
activities survive today.
The barrow has a flat-topped earth and stone mound which measures 14m in
diameter and stands 0.4m high. The mound was surrounded by a ditch up to 3m
wide which has been filled in and is no longer visible as an earthwork.

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

Round barrows 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 mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered
single or multiple burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as
cemeteries and often acted as a focus of 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 examples recorded nationally (many more have already
been destroyed), occurring across most of Britain, including the Wessex area
where it is often possible to classify them more closely, for example as bowl
or bell barrows. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major
historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable variation in
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 round barrow 370m south of Thorn Keys Howes has survived well. Significant
information about the original form of the barrow, the burials placed within
it and the relationship with other monuments in the area will be preserved.
Evidence of earlier land use will also survive beneath the barrow mound.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Smith, M J B, Excavated Bronze Age Burial Mounds of Durham and N' land., (1994), 1-34

Source: Historic England