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 bowl barrow at Henley Nap is a well-preserved example of this class of
monument. The barrow mound will retain evidence for its method of construction
as well as the burial or burials within it. These remains will advance our
understanding of Bronze Age society, including the ritual practices and
technical abilities of these people. The accumulated ditch fills will preserve
environmental evidence for the activities which took place at the site during
the construction of the barrow, and its subsequent use. In addition the buried
ground surface beneath the mound will preserve evidence for the prehistoric
landscape in which the barrow was built. The monument now occupies a prominent
position in the landscape.
Details
The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a Bronze Age bowl
barrow and a section of an adjacent boundary bank, situated on level ground
from which there are extensive views of the surrounding countryside in all
directions. It lies approximately 350m north west of the barrows at Duckley
Nap and Robin Hood's Butts, which are the subject of separate schedulings.
The earthen mound of the barrow is about 15m in diameter and survives to a
height of 1m. Although no longer visible at ground level, a ditch from which
material was quarried during the construction of the barrow, surrounds the
mound. This has been infilled over the years but survives as a buried feature,
approximately 3m wide.
A boundary bank crosses the barrow on its north eastern side (this feature
also crosses the barrow at Duckley Nap). The bank is a long established
feature, depicted on early editions of Ordnance Survey maps. A section of the
boundary bank crossing the barrow is included in the scheduling in order to
protect its archaeological relationship with the barrow.
All fence posts are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath
them 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.
