Details

This monument includes a bell barrow and bowl barrow situated on lowland heath
overlooking the valley of Ober Water. The bell barrow mound measures 8.5m in
diameter and stands up to 0.7m high. Surrounding the mound is a level berm or
platform, surviving to an average width of 2.5m, and a ditch from which
material was quarried during the construction of the barrow. The ditch has
become partly infilled over the years but survives as a slight earthwork 1.5m
wide and 0.25m deep. The overall diameter of this barrow is 17m. The bowl
barrow mound measures 18m in diameter and stands up to 1.8m high. Surrounding
the mound is a quarry ditch which is 1.6m wide and up to 0.4m deep and
interrupted by a 3m wide causeway on the south side. Both barrow mounds have
evidence for partial excavation or robbing in the form of a slight hollow in
the mound centre.

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

Bell barrows, the most visually impressive form of round barrow, are funerary
monuments dating to the Early and Middle Bronze Age, with most examples
belonging to the period 1500-1100 BC. They occur either in isolation or in
round barrow cemeteries and were constructed as single or multiple mounds
covering burials, often in pits, and surrounded by an enclosure ditch. The
burials are frequently accompanied by weapons, personal ornaments and pottery
and appear to be those of aristocratic individuals, usually men. Bell barrows
(particularly multiple barrows) are rare nationally, with less than 250 known
examples, most of which are in Wessex. Their richness in terms of grave goods
provides evidence for chronological and cultural links amongst early
prehistoric communities over most of southern and eastern England as well as
providing an insight into their beliefs and social organisation. As a
particularly rare form of round barrow, all identified bell barrows would
normally be considered to be of national importance.

In addition to the bell barrow, the monument includes a bowl barrow. These
are the most numerous form of round barrow; they 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. Their ubiquity and their tendency to occupy
prominent locations makes them 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
organisation 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, the two round barrows south of Ferny
Knap Inclosure are important in view of the association between bowl and bell
barrows, giving an indication of the nature of burial in this area during the
Bronze Age period. Furthermore, the New Forest is known to have been
important in terms of lowland Bronze Age occupation. A considerable amount of
archaeological evidence has survived in this area because of a lack of
agricultural activity, the result of later climatic deterioration, development
of heath and the establishment of a Royal Forest.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Grinsell, L V, 'Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club' in Hampshire Barrows, , Vol. 14, (1938), 360

Source: Historic England