Scheduled Monument: Bowl barrow 700m east of Oundle Lodge (1012145)

DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT The monument is situated on low-lying ground on the west bank of the River Nene and includes a bowl barrow. The top of the earthen mound has been reduced in size by ploughing but is still visible as a slight earthwork. The remainder of the mound survives as a buried feature beneath alluvial cover. Although not visible at ground level, a ditch, from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument, surrounds the mound. This has become infilled over the years but survives as a buried feature, approximately 3m wide. The maximum diameter of the barrow is believed to be 30m. There are references which suggest that the barrow was originally encircled by a limestone kerb. Documentary sources indicate that several Bronze Age artefacts were recovered from a barrow located near to Oundle during the late 19th century, and these may have originated at this site. 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. Despite modern ploughing, the bowl barrow located 700m east of Oundle Lodge survives well as a buried feature and is one of a small number of Bronze Age monuments which have been identified in the area. Archaeological deposits will survive within the burial mound and upon the old land surface below it providing information on the burial activities and customs of the period.

Record last edited

Feb 16 2024 3:50PM