Details

The monument, which falls into three areas, includes three bowl barrows situated on a prominent ridge at the western side of Goonhilly Downs, with the easternmost barrow marking the meeting point of the parish boundaries of Mullion, Cury and Grade-Ruan. The northern barrow survives as a circular mound standing up to 24m in diameter and 2.1m high. It lies within a section of enclosed moorland known as Bochym Enclosure. The western barrow survives as a circular mound measuring 14m in diameter and 1.2m high. The eastern barrow survives as a slightly oval mound measuring 22m long by 20m wide and up to 1.8m high. Both the western and eastern barrows have central excavation hollows and very obvious surrounding quarry ditches. The eastern barrow also supports a post at its summit.
Crawford noted partial excavation and the clearing out of surrounding quarry ditches but no further information.

Sources: HER:-
PastScape Monument No:-427425

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

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 partial early excavation and the erection of a post on one of the mounds, the three bowl barrows 500m SSW of Leech Pool forming part of a round barrow cemetery survive comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to their construction, longevity, relative chronology, territorial significance, social organisation, funerary and ritual practices and overall landscape context.

Source: Historic England