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. There are over 10,000 surviving bowl
barrows recorded nationally (many more have already been destroyed), occurring
across most of lowland Britain. 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
and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of
protection.
The monument is one of a closely associated group of barrows within Towthorpe
Plantation. The location of the modern county boundary along this line of
barrows offers important insight into the antiquity of land divisions in this
region.
The barrow survives in very good condition, almost to its original height, and
is the only one of the group of barrows surviving in this area to be
unexcavated by J R Mortimer. It will therefore contain all original burials
and further archaeological information relating to its construction.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow in Towthorpe Plantation, situated on the
county boundary line between North Yorkshire and Humberside. The barrow is one
of a group of seven barrows surviving in this area, five of which are in a
line along the county boundary.
The barrow survives as a prominent mound up to 1.5m in height, and is between
18m and 20m in diameter. It is surrounded by a ditch up to 3m wide, which,
although no longer visible at the ground level, will survive as a buried
feature.
The monument was originally part of a much larger group of 21 barrows,
recorded by J R Mortimer as stretching for 7km from Wharram in the west
nearly as far as Sledmere in the east, and itself forms part of a chain of
barrows extending along the line of the ancient greenway now known as the
Wolds Way, from Aldro to Sledmere.
Unlike the other six barrows remaining in this group, the monument was not
excavated by J R Mortimer, and therefore all its burial contents will survive.
A modern post and wire fence runs due north of the monument, and is excluded
from the scheduling, although the ground beneath it is included.
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.
