Details

The two Bridgewater Monument bowl barrows are situated at the south end of
Moneybury Hill on Aldbury Common. The easternmost measures approximately 13m
in diameter and 0.3m in height. It has a slightly hollowed centre. The
second barrow is situated about 15m west of the first barrow. It measures
approximately 14m in diameter and 0.4m in height. The ground between the two
barrows is included in the scheduling as it is considered likely to retain
archaeological evidence either contemporary with, or from prior to, the period
of mound building.

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 barrows at the Bridgewater Monument are one of only five surviving
grouped examples of these monuments in Hertfordshire. As such they represent
important survivals which will retain considerable potential for the
preservation of archaeological and environmental evidence.

Source: Historic England