Ancient Monuments

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Bowl barrow 450m east of Stanshope

A Scheduled Monument in Alstonefield, Staffordshire

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Coordinates

Latitude: 53.0854 / 53°5'7"N

Longitude: -1.8043 / 1°48'15"W

OS Eastings: 413203.924498

OS Northings: 354264.100978

OS Grid: SK132542

Mapcode National: GBR 47V.DNR

Mapcode Global: WHCDR.8Q10

Entry Name: Bowl barrow 450m east of Stanshope

Scheduled Date: 12 November 1965

Last Amended: 12 November 1992

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1010798

English Heritage Legacy ID: 13532

County: Staffordshire

Civil Parish: Alstonefield

Traditional County: Staffordshire

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Staffordshire

Church of England Parish: Alstonfield St Peter

Church of England Diocese: Lichfield

Details

The monument includes a bowl barrow located on a narrow ridge top in a
col some 450m east of Stanshope. It survives as an oval earthen mound up to
1.7m high with maximum dimensions of 41.5m by 35m. A drystone wall truncates
the southern edge of the barrow. The mound possesses a large central pit
measuring 10m by 7m and up to 0.8m deep. This pit pre-dates limited
antiquarian investigation of the central part of the barrow undertaken in
1849. This investigation located 3 rock-cut graves, a disturbed cist, at least
5 inhumations comprising young persons and children, adult human bones, a
cremation, 3 beakers, a horse tooth, pottery sherds, flint and bronze
artefacts.

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 a combination of limited antiquarian investigation at the centre of
the barrow and active badger disturbance within the north-eastern quadrant of
the barrow the monument survives reasonably well. The investigation located
inhumations and grave goods and further similar evidence will exist within the
barrow and upon the old landsurface.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Barnatt, J, The Peak District Barrow Survey (1989), (1989)
Bateman, , Ten Years Digging (1861), (1861), 158
Other
Bateman, Desc & Obs Further Discoveries in the Barrows of Derbyshire,
Bateman, Illustrations of Antiquity (Unpub volume of drawings), Sheffield City Museum
Carrington, Barrow Diggers (Unpub MS with letters and notes), 1848,
Darvill,T., MPP Single Monument Class Description - Bowl Barrows, (1988)

Source: Historic England

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