Monument record 1765/0/2 - Irthlingborough bowl barrow

Bronze Age bowl barrow which stands as a round mound up to 2m high in the centre and 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.

{1} Earthwork representing a possible Bronze Age round barrow measuring 35m in diameter and 2m high; the north-west side was cut by the railway in 1847;

{2} The mound was described as a 'tumulus' by Dr Robb;

{3} 40 m maximum diameter; there is the remains of a ditch on the north, south and east sides; situated on a fenced island in the gravel workings. Probably at least partly turf built.

{4} 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.

{6} Ploughing of the gravel terrace, probably during the later Iron Age and Roman periods, damaged the mounds of Barrows 1-3 and disturbed the Bronze Age land surface which now survives only beneath the mounds.

{7} Magnetometry and resistivity surveys were undertaken. An outer ring ditch, approximately 25m in diameter, has been detected almost in its entirety by the magnetometer survey. The magnetic response to the ditch is not uniform around its circuit and is at its strongest to the west. The magnetic response is rather confused although there is the suggestion of a second, internal ring. Two discrete anomalies have been detected near the centre of the barrow, one of which correlates well with a low resistance anomaly detected by the resistivity survey.
The resistivity survey detected the outer ring ditch as a low resistance anomaly with an associated high resistance anomaly, possibly an outer bank, to the north and northeast. Within the ring ditch is a broad circular band of high resistance, approximately 8m wide, which surrounds a central area of generally lower resistance. This could be interpreted as a compacted bank surrounding an inner hollow, although this does not conform to any recognised barrow morphology (Grinsell, 1953). At the very centre of the barrow there is an irregularly shaped low resistance anomaly, also detected by the magnetometer survey, which may be a response to an original pit or, alternatively, the remains of a robber trench. Overall it does seem likely that some excavation over the centre of this barrow has taken place.

[8} Geophysical survey was undertaken in 2023 to help inform future conservation efforts. A higher resolution survey revealed a clearer picture of the interior of the barrow and shows either differing construction methods or that the barrow was perhaps expanded though the excavation of a second ditch and expansion of the mound. A potentail bank was noted both in the geophysical survey and on Lidar data on the outside of the exterior barrow ditch as well as ephemeral linear features possibly relating to earlier prehistoric cultivation marks.

{10} Mound 'B' is situated SP 96627142; it appears to be well spread by ploughing. No surface finds were made. See annotated 25" survey.

Classification not possible without excavation but it has the appearance of a ploughed over tumulus.

{11} SP 96627142. A Bronze Age bowl barrow survivng as a round mound up to 2 metres high and about 40 metres across. The surounding ditch was truncated by a railway cutting built in 1847 but the barrow mound is complete. Three other round barrows are known to have existed within 400 metres of this mound but these were excavated prior to gravel quarrying. Scheduled

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.57/Site 2 (checked) (Series). SNN77379.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP97SE17 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<3> Garwood, P., 1985, Irthlingborough Barrow Group 1985: A Summary Interim Assessment of the 1985 Survey, and Proposals For Future Work, (checked) (Interim Report). SNN46797.

<4> English Heritage, 1992, English Heritage Scheduling Notification, (part checked) (Report). SNN47128.

<5> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, Used with NMR & CUCAP collections (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<6> Dix B. (editor), 1986-7, The Raunds Area Project: Second Interim Report, 21/5 (checked) (Article). SNN76070.

<7> Cole, M, 1995, Raunds Area Project, March 1995: Report on geophysical surveys at three barrow sites near Higham Ferrers, Northants (Report). SNN111612.

<8> Evershed, R, 2023, Archaeological Geophysical Survey: Geophysical Survey by Magnetometry at Irthlingborough Bowl Barrow, Stanwick Lakes, Stanwick, Northamptonshire, https://doi.org/10.5284/1119536 (Report). SNN115403.

<9> HALL D.N.; HUTCHINGS J.B., 1972, The Distribution of Archaeological Sites Between The Nene and The Ouse Valleys, p. 14/ Irthlingborough Site 10 (Article). SNN35780.

<10> Baird, J, 1969, Field Investigators Comments, F1 JB 27-NOV-69 (Note). SNN111452.

<11> Scheduled Monument Notification, EH Scheduling amendment, 18/09/2001 (Note). SNN113001.

Record last edited

Feb 4 2025 7:55PM