Details

The monument includes a Bronze Age barrow on Huggate Wold, situated
approximately 2km south west of Fridaythorpe Village, and 600m west of
Horsedale Plantation, in fields between Holm Dale to the north east, and Horse
Dale to the south. The barrow is one of a group of several bowl barrows which
survive in close proximity in this area, and together these form part of a
much larger group of bowl barrows dispersed across Huggate Wold and Huggate
Pasture.
Although much altered over the years by agricultural activity which has
reduced the height of the mound and spread its surface area, the barrow is
still visible as a low mound no more than 0.2m high and 18m in diameter. It is
surrounded by a ditch c.3m wide which, although infilled by ploughing and no
longer visible at ground level, will survive as a buried feature.
The monument was originally part of a larger cemetery of 20 barrows existing
adjacent to an ancient trackway, which itself is related to the ancient
greenway in the Wolds of East Yorkshire, now known as the Wolds Way. The
barrow lies 500m to the north of the linear bank system of Horse Dale, and
should be viewed in the context of the wider ancient landscape, where very
extensive systems of banks, dykes and hollow ways link large tracts of the
countryside in this area of the Yorkshire Wolds.
The barrow was partly excavated by J R Mortimer in March 1882, when it was
observed to have been much reduced even then by agricultural operations,
standing to a height of only 0.4m.
A total of seven interments were found within a deep burial pit, measuring
2.75m by 1.7m, dug into the centre of the base of the mound, and later filled
up with a deposit of gritty chalk. Burial one was of a middle aged male and
lying crouched on its left side, with the body and head within the top of the
pit and the legs flexed upon the original ground surface outside the pit edge.
A second crouched inhumation of a complete, middle-aged individual was found
at a depth of 0.35m, lying on its left side with the head to the west. Two
fragments of an urn were found near this skeleton.
Beneath skeleton two, at a depth of nearly 1m lay the third crouched
inhumation, with its skull to the south west, near to which was found a common
form of food vessel. Interment number four, that of a young individual, lay
flexed upon its back at the same level as number three, in the western end of
the grave pit.
Burial number five was that of an aged female, lying flexed on the floor of
the grave pit on its left side, with the head orientated to the north. To the
front of this lay number six, which was the fragile skeleton of a child.
Fragments of decayed, almost carbonised wood were found with the interments.
The final interment, of what was thought to have been a female body, was found
2.4m from the south side at the base of the grave pit, lying crouched on its
left side with the head orientated to the south west.
Three more fragmented skeletons, one of two adults and a youth, were found
dispersed within the body of the grave pit.
Part of the encircling ditch was also uncovered during the course of the
excavation, from which chalk had been quarried to form part of the barrow
mound.
The monument is situated in the corner of a field, with modern post and wire
fences to the north west and to the south west. These, and a gate in the fence
to the north west, are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground
beneath them is included.

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 monument is one of a closely associated group of barrows on Huggate Wold.
The location of the barrows alongside an ancient greenway, and close to the
very extensive systems of dykes and hollow ways dating back to the Bronze Age,
offers important insights into ancient land use and territorial divisions for
social, ritual and agricultural purposes in this area of the Yorkshire Wolds.
Despite part excavation by J R Mortimer in 1882 and the effects of ploughing
over many years, the barrow still survives as a visible feature in the
landscape, and will contain further burials and archaeological information
relating to its construction.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Mortimer, J R , Forty Years Researches in British and Saxon Burial Mounds of East Yorkshire, (1905)

Source: Historic England