Details

Friden Hollow bowl barrow is a sub-circular barrow located in the central
uplands of the limestone plateau of Derbyshire. The monument includes a mound
measuring 16m by 14m and standing c.0.5m high. Previously, the barrow would
have been somewhat higher but its profile has been changed by ploughing
occurring during World War II. Partial excavations of the mound were carried
out in 1825, by William Bateman, and in 1844, by Thomas Bateman, when traces
of burnt bone and charcoal were found indicating an in-situ cremation. The
appearance of the barrow, and its proximity to others datable to the Bronze
Age, suggest that it too dates to this period. However, pot sherds of a very
hard texture found during excavation may date to the Roman or Anglian periods,
and suggest either that the barrow was re-used at this time or that it is not
of prehistoric origin. In this respect, and others, it is similar to nearby
Ringham Low bowl barrow.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

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.

Although Friden Hollow bowl barrow has been disturbed by excavation and past
agricultural practice, it is an unusual example which, in addition to rare
evidence of an in-situ cremation, retains further significant archaeological
remains which will provide evidence of the barrow's origins.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Barnatt, J, The Peak District Barrow Survey (1989), (1989)
Barnatt, J, The Peak District Barrow Survey (1989), (1989)
Bateman, T, Vestiges of the Antiquities of Derbyshire, (1849), 33,54
Marsden, B M, The Burial Mounds of Derbyshire , (1977), 74
Ward, J, 'Derbyshire Archaeological Journal' in Notes on some Derbys Antiquities from S Mitchell's memoranda, (1908), 155-72

Source: Historic England