Reasons for Designation
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 some partial early excavation and disturbance through cultivation, the three bowl barrows, 60m and 250m south and 500m south west of Nettings Park survive comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to their construction, relative chronologies, territorial significance, social organisation, ritual and funerary practices and overall landscape context.
Details
The monument, which falls into three areas of protection, includes three bowl barrows, situated on the upper slopes of a wide ridge which forms the watershed between several tributaries to the River Camel. The barrows are aligned north east to south west. The barrows survive as circular mounds surrounded by buried quarry ditches, from which their construction material was derived. The north east mound measures up to 32m in diameter and 2.5m high and has an excavation hollow at the centre and another on the eastern margin. The edges of the barrow have also been slightly cut to form a scarp, and this may be a result of past military activity in the area.
The central barrow mound stands up to 28m in diameter and 3.2m high. It has a central excavation hollow and a conspicuous ridge top location. A track and hedge bank cut the north west edge of the barrow; these features are excluded from the monument but the ground beneath them is included.
The south west barrow mound measures approximately 36m in diameter and 0.5m high. It was damaged by ploughing in 1968 when an arc of edge-set stones was discovered on the western half of the barrow. Three of the slabs had cup-marked stones, and they were removed and placed on display outside the main entrance of Camelford Comprehensive School. The remaining stones were placed in a nearby hedge.
Further archaeological remains survive in the vicinity of the monument and are the subject of separate schedulings.
Sources: HER:-
PastScape Monument No:-434169, 434166 and 434163
