Details

The monument includes a Bronze Age bowl barrow situated 950m SSW of
Beckhampton Plantation. It forms the southern outlier of a small round barrow
cemetery containing five barrows in all, two of which are saucer barrows,
situated on the north facing slope of Horton Down.
The barrow mound has been reduced by cultivation but can still be seen as a
low spread of stony soil 12m across and up to 0.2m high. Originally
surrounding the mound, but no longer visible at ground level, was a quarry
ditch from which material was obtained during its construction. This will
survive as a 2.5m wide feature, buried below the modern ploughsoil.

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

A small number of areas in southern England appear to have acted as foci for
ceremonial and ritual activity during the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age
periods. Two of the best known and earliest recognised, with references in the
17th century, are around Avebury and Stonehenge, now jointly designated as a
World Heritage Site. In the Avebury area, the henge monument itself, the West
Kennet Avenue, the Sanctuary, West Kennet long barrow, Windmill Hill
causewayed enclosure and the enigmatic Silbury Hill are well-known. Whilst the
other Neolithic long barrows, the many Bronze Age round barrows and other
associated sites are less well-known, together they define one of the richest
and most varied areas of Neolithic and Bronze Age ceremonial and ritual
monuments in the country. Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age
(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 and occasionally associated
with earlier long barrows. Where investigation beyond the round barrows has
occurred, contemporary or later `flat' burials between the barrow mounds have
often been revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland
England with a marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases they are
clustered around other important contemporary monuments, as is the case both
here and at Stonehenge. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major
historic element in the modern landscape, while their diversity and their
longevity as a monument type provide important information on the variety of
beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. All
examples are considered worthy of protection.

The round barrow cemetery SSW of Beckhampton Plantation on Horton Down
includes both bowl and saucer barrows dating from the Bronze Age. It is
situated in an area of important funerary activity relating to the ritual
complex centred on Avebury.
Despite this barrow having been reduced by cultivation, it does not appear to
have been excavated and will contain archaeological remains relating to its
construction and the landscape in which it was built.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Grinsell, L V, 'A History Of WIltshire' in Gazeteer, , Vol. 1,1, (1957), 158
Other
SU06NE 608, CAO, Ploughed bowl barrow, (1979)
Title: Ordnance Survey Map
Source Date: 1926
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:
6" Series

Source: Historic England