Scheduled Monument: Sulgrave bowl barrow (1010248)

DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT Sulgrave bowl barrow lies 1.5km to the north of Sulgrave village, on the south side of Banbury Lane. This Bronze Age bowl barrow consists of a mound up to 2m high and probably a surrounding ditch. The mound is oval in shape and measures approximately 25m x 40m. The peak of the clay mound lies at the northern end. Some large stones are exposed on the west side of the barrow mound suggesting the presence of internal burial cists or chambers used to inter the remains of the dead. Most of the barrow mound is intact but the site has been partly disturbed by badgers and it is not possible to trace a surrounding ditch, although one is likely to survive below ground. 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 some of the mound has been disturbed, much of this large barrow at Sulgrave will retain archaeological evidence.

Record last edited

Dec 16 2024 1:11PM