Details

The monument includes two bowl barrows set 20m apart on the crest of North
Hill 405m to the east of East Water Drove. The two barrows are the
northernmost of nine forming a linear barrow cemetery aligned on a north to
southeast axis and known as `Priddy Nine Barrows'.
The northernmost of the two bowl barrows comprises a mound 20m in diameter
and c.2.5m high at its highest point. Although no longer visible at ground
level a ditch, from which material was quarried during the construction of the
monument, surrounds the barrow mound. This has become infilled over the years
but survives as a buried feature c.3m wide. A slight central depression may
indicate early exploration of the site.
The southernmost of the two bowl barrows comprises a mound 20m in diameter and
c.2.75m high at its highest point. A quarry ditch surrounds the barrow
mound. This survives as an earthwork c.3m wide and 0.25m deep on the west
side, and elsewhere survives as a buried feature. A large central depression
may mark the site of either previous excavation or quarrying.

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

Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They comprise
closely-spaced groups of up to 30 round barrows - rubble or earthen mounds
covering single or multiple burials. Most cemeteries developed over a
considerable period of time, often many centuries, and in some cases acted as
a focus for burials as late as the early medieval period. They exhibit
considerable diversity of burial rite, plan and form, frequently including
several different types of round barrow, occasionally associated with earlier
long barrows. Where large scale investigation has been undertaken around them,
contemporary or later "flat" burials between the barrow mounds have often been
revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland Britain, with a
marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases, they are clustered around other
important contemporary monuments such as henges. Often occupying prominent
locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape, whilst
their diversity and their longevity as a monument type provide important
information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early
prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period
and a substantial proportion of surviving or partly-surviving examples are
considered worthy of protection.

The `Priddy Nine Barrows' linear round barrow cemetery survives well despite
small areas of localised disturbance caused by partial excavation of some of
the barrow mounds. The survival of the barrow mounds and the fills of the
barrow ditches give the cemetery potential for the recovery of archaeological
and environmental evidence relating both to the monument and the landscape in
which it was constructed. The area between the barrow mounds appears to
survive undisturbed and is believed likely to contain further burials in the
form of flat graves and urnfields as well as evidence for Bronze Age
occupation.
The importance of the monument is enhanced by its association with a second
linear round barrow cemetery 300m to the north, as well as its proximity to
the `Priddy Circles' 750m to the north. Numerous other burial monuments of
the same date also survive in the area. Such evidence gives an indication of
the intensity of occupation and the nature of social organisation present in
the area during the Bronze Age period.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Grinsell, L, 'Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeology and Natural Hist Soc' in Somerset Barrows Part II, , Vol. Vol 115, (1971), 113
Tratman, E K, 'Proceedings of the Univ of Bristol Speleological Society' in Fieldwork, , Vol. Vol 2(3), (1925), 284-5

Source: Historic England