Scheduled Monument: Two bowl barrows on Ridge Hill 770m south of Revels Farm (1016688)

EXTRACT FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE'S RECORD OF SCHEDULED MONUMENTS MONUMENT: Two bowl barrows on Ridge Hill 770m south of Revels Farm PARISH: BUCKLAND NEWTON DISTRICT: WEST DORSET COUNTY: DORSET NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 31065 NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE(S): ST67670475 DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT The monument includes two bowl barrows aligned broadly NNW-SSE on the crest of Ridge Hill. Both barrows have been reduced in size by past ploughing. The northern barrow has a mound, now elongated but formerly 8m in diameter, and 0.5m high. The second barrow, approximately 30m to the south west, is now visible only as a slight rise in the ground surface but was formerly 13m in diameter and 0.6m high. Both mounds are surrounded by quarry ditches from which material to construct them was derived. These have become infilled over the years and now survive as buried features approximately 2m wide. The barrows lie within a wider area of prehistoric field system which is not included in the scheduling. All fence posts are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath these features is included. ASSESSMENT OF IMPORTANCE 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 barrows on Ridge Hill 770m south of Revels Farm will contain archaeological deposits providing information about Bronze Age burial practices, economy and environment. SCHEDULING HISTORY Monument included in the Schedule on 6th October 1959 as: COUNTY/NUMBER: Dorset 389 NAME: Two barrows on Ridge Hill The reference of this monument is now: NATIONAL MONUMENT NUMBER: 31065 NAME: Two bowl barrows on Ridge Hill 770m south of Revels Farm SCHEDULING REVISED ON 07th July 1999

Record last edited

Sep 27 2024 5:43PM