Details

The monument includes two round barrows situated on the west flank of
Commondale Moor in the northern area of the North York Moors.
The barrows lie adjacently, one being north west of the other. Both of the
barrows have an earth and stone mound, and each was originally surrounded by a
kerb of stones which defined the barrow and supported the mound. However, over
the years some of the stones have been taken away or been buried by soil
slipping off the mounds. The north western barrow stands 1m high and is 12m in
diameter. The remains of a shooting butt built into the north side of the
cairn are included in the scheduling.
The southern barrow mound is 6m in diameter and stands 0.75m high. In the
centre of both mounds is a hollow dug when the mound was excavated in the
past. The barrows lie in an area rich in prehistoric monuments, including
further barrows, field systems and clearance cairns.

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 limited disturbance, these barrows have survived well. Significant
information about the original form of the barrows and the burials placed
within them will be preserved. Evidence of earlier land use will also survive
beneath the barrow mounds.
The barrows are part of a wider group of monuments in the area. Similar groups
of monuments are also known across the west and central areas of the North
York Moors, providing important insight into burial practice. Such groupings
of monuments offer important scope for the study of the division of land for
social and ritual purposes in different geographical areas during the
prehistoric period.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Elgee, F, Early Man in NE Yorkshire, (1930), 148

Source: Historic England