Reasons for Designation
A small number of areas in southern England appear to have acted as foci for
ceremonial and ritual activity during the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age
periods. Two of the best known and earliest recognised, with references in the
17th century, are around Avebury and Stonehenge, now jointly designated as a
World Heritage Site. In the Avebury area, the henge monument itself, the West
Kennet Avenue, the Sanctuary, West Kennet long barrow, Windmill Hill
causewayed enclosure and the enigmatic Silbury Hill are well-known. Whilst the
other Neolithic long barrows, the many Bronze Age round barrows and other
associated sites are less well-known, together they define one of the richest
and most varied areas of Neolithic and Bronze Age ceremonial monuments in the
country. 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, normally 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 and around 320 in the Avebury area. This group of
monuments will provide important information on the development of this area
during the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age periods. All surviving examples are
considered worthy of protection.
Despite evidence of partial excavation, the bowl barrow 230m east of the
Avebury henge monument is a well preserved example of its class and is the
closest known barrow to the henge monument. The barrow will contain
archaeological and environmental evidence of its construction and use and
former land-use within this important part of the Avebury landscape.
Details
The monument includes a well preserved bowl barrow located south of the
Herepath (Green Lane), 230m east of the Avebury henge monument. The barrow is
located between a private house built in 1908 and a paddock to the east. The
barrow mound has a diameter of 26m and stands up to 3.6m high. Surrounding
the barrow is a quarry ditch from which material was taken to construct the
mound. This has become infilled over the years but will survive below ground
level as a buried feature c.3m wide.
There is no record of the barrow having been excavated but a shallow
depression at the centre of the summit is probably evidence of a vertical
shaft having been dug into the barrow at some time prior to the turn of this
century.
Excluded from the scheduling are the fences which cross the monument and lie
between the barrow and the garden to the west, and between the barrow and the
paddock to the east; however, the ground beneath both fences is included in
the scheduling. Also excluded is the pond which cuts the area of the barrow's
ditch and the ground beneath this 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.
