Details

The monument includes a bowl barrow situated on chalk downland behind the
coastal ridge, c.1.2km north of the Dorset coast.
The barrow mound measures 25m diameter and stands to 2.5m high. A slight
hollow in the centre of the mound suggests partial excavation, although no
records of this are known. The ditch, from which material was quarried during
construction of the mound, can no longer be seen at ground level having become
infilled over the years, but survives as a buried feature c.5m in width.
The posts which surround and protect the barrow from ploughing on its west
side are placed 6m away from the mound. These are excluded from the
scheduling although the ground beneath them is included.

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.

Despite evidence for partial excavation, Bush Barrow survives well and
contains archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the
monument and the landscape in which it was constructed. This is one of
numerous barrows which survive locally and, as such, will contribute to our
understanding of Bronze Age settlement in the area.

Source: Historic England