Details

The monument includes a bowl barrow situated on the Sussex Downs, overlooking
the Cuckmere valley to the east. The barrow has a large, roughly circular
mound measuring 26m in diameter, which survives to a height of c.2.75m. This
has been disturbed in several places by partial excavation some time in the
past. Surrounding the mound is a ditch from which material used to construct
the barrow was excavated. This has become infilled over the years. It has also
been partially disturbed on its north western side by the construction of the
modern B2108 road, and on its south eastern side by a downland track. It
survives elsewhere, however, as a buried feature c.4m wide.
The metalled surface of the modern road which crosses the north western side
of the monument is excluded from the scheduling, as is the modern fence which
bounds the road, although the ground beneath these features 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.

The bowl barrow on High and Over is one of the largest surviving bowl barrows
on the East Sussex Downs. It survives comparatively well, despite partial
disturbance, and will contain archaeological remains and environmental
evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was
constructed.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
ref. 2, Grinsell, LV, TQ 50 SW 44, (1930)

Source: Historic England