Summary

Bowl barrow 780m south-west of Westfields Farm.

Source: Historic England

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 1 July 2015. This record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records. As such they do not yet have the full descriptions of their modernised counterparts available. Please contact us if you would like further information.

This monument includes a bowl barrow situated on the summit of a prominent ridge called Coombe Down overlooking the valley of the River Og. The barrow survives as a circular mound of approximately 26m in diameter and 2.2m high surrounded by a buried quarry ditch from which the construction material was derived. There is a central excavation depression in the summit.

Further barrows in the vicinity are scheduled separately.

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. 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. Despite partial early excavation or robbing the bowl barrow 780m south west of Westfields Farm survives well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, longevity, territorial significance, social organisation, funerary and ritual practices and overall landscape context

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
PastScape 221534
Wiltshire HER SU17SE665

Source: Historic England