Scheduled Monument: Irthlingborough bowl barrow, 760m west of Rutland Lodge (1020235)

DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT Irthlingborough bowl barrow is located approximately 1km to the north east of the village of Irthlingborough and lies on the east side of a disused railway cutting. This Bronze Age bowl barrow stands as a round mound up to 2m high in the centre and is about 40m across at its maximum diameter. Remains of a ditch approximately 2m wide can be seen around the barrow on the north, east and south sides. On the west side the ditch was truncated by a railway cutting built in 1847 but the mound of the barrow is complete. Three other round barrows are known to have existed within 400m of this site but these were excavated prior to gravel quarrying. The mound is covered with grass and weeds and is preserved within a fenced island in the gravel workings. 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. Although partially disturbed by the railway cutting, the barrow mound is essentially undamaged and will retain considerable potential for the preservation of archaeological evidence.

Record last edited

Mar 18 2024 11:48AM