Details

The monument includes the remains of a bowl barrow situated on a rise in the
Lower Greensand; it is one of a group of at least four bowl barrows in
Godstone, the remains of only three of which now survive. The barrow now has
a crescent shaped mound, having been disturbed on its east side. It measures
35m north-south and 33m east-west and stands to a height of 1.5m. Surrounding
the mound is a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction
of the monument. This is no longer visible at ground level, having become
infilled over the years, but survives as a buried feature c.3.5m wide.
Excluded from the scheduling are the fence and fence posts on the southern
edge of the mound although the ground beneath them is included.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

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 damage to the eastern side of the mound, most of the bowl barrow in
the south end of Hilly Field survives to a height which has allowed
the preservation of archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating
to both the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed. As part of
a group of at least three bowl barrows within a distance of 250m of each
other, it contributes to a more detailed picture of settlement and land use in
the area during the Bronze Age period.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Lambert, U, Godstone a parish history, (1929)
Grinsell, L V, 'Surrey Archaeological Collections' in Surrey Barrows 1934-1987: A Reappraisal, , Vol. 79, (1987)

Source: Historic England