Details

The monument includes a round barrow which is situated in a prominent
position towards the top of a south-facing slope overlooking the head of
Troutsdale. It lies in Dalby Forest on the central plateau of the Tabular
Hills. The barrow has an earth and stone mound which stands up to 0.6m
high and has a maximum diameter of 8m.
The barrow lies in an area where there are many other burial monuments as
well as the remains of prehistoric land division.
The surface of the track passing the north side of the barrow is excluded
from the scheduling although the ground beneath it is included. The mapped
position of the forest track is incorrectly marked on the Ordnance Survey
map base.

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.

Despite limited disturbance, the round barrow at Blanket Head, 350m north
west of Broad Head Farm has survived well. Significant information about
the original form of the barrow and the burials placed within it will be
preserved. Evidence for earlier land use and the contemporary environment
will also survive beneath the barrow mound. The barrow lies in an area
where there are many other burial monuments, as well as a concentration of
prehistoric land boundaries. The relationships between these monuments are
important for understanding the division and use of the landscape for
social, ritual and agricultural purposes during the later prehistoric
period.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Northern Archaeological Associates, , North York Moors Forest Survey Phase Two, (1996)

Source: Historic England