Details

The monument includes a bell barrow and two bowl barrows which form a
triangular cluster, situated on a ridge on the southern edge of South Heath,
overlooking Frome Valley to the south.
The bell barrow is situated to the north west and was recorded by
L V Grinsell (1959) and The Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments in
England (1970). It included a central mound 10m in diameter and approximately
1m in height, surrounded by a berm or gently sloping platform 1.8m wide, with
an outer ditch 2m wide. The barrow has since been reduced and now has the
appearance of a stony patch 14m wide and approximately 0.2m high. The outer
ditch, from which material was quarried during the construction of the
monument, has since become infilled but will survive as a buried feature.
When recorded by L V Grinsell and The Royal Commission on the Historic
Monuments in England, the two bowl barrows had mounds 8.5m-12m in diameter and
approximately 1.2m-1.4m in height, each surrounded by a visible quarry ditch.
The mounds have since been reduced but remain visible as stony patches 10m-12m
in diameter and approximately 0.2m in height. The quarry ditches have since
become infilled, but each will survive as a buried feature 1.5m wide.

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

Bell barrows, the most visually impressive form of round barrow, are funerary
monuments dating to the Early and Middle Bronze Age, with most examples
belonging to the period 1500-1100 BC. They occur either in isolation or in
round barrow cemeteries and were constructed as single or multiple mounds
covering burials, often in pits, and surrounded by an enclosure ditch. The
burials are frequently accompanied by weapons, personal ornaments and pottery
and appear to be those of aristocratic individuals, usually men. Bell barrows
(particularly multiple barrows) are rare nationally, with less than 250 known
examples, most of which are in Wessex. Their richness in terms of grave goods
provides evidence for chronological and cultural links amongst early
prehistoric communities over most of southern and eastern England as well as
providing an insight into their beliefs and social organisation. As a
particularly rare form of round barrow, all identified bell barrows would
normally be considered to be of national importance.

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 to be worthy
of protection.
Despite some reduction, the bell barrow and two bowl barrows 170m north east
of Holmebridge Post Office survive comparatively well and will contain
archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the
landscape in which it was constructed.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 452
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 452
Grinsell, L V, 'Procs Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Soc.' in Dorset Barrows, (1959), 108
Grinsell, L V, 'Procs Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Soc.' in Dorset Barrows, (1959), 108
Other
Description of barrow, RCHME, National Monuments Record,

Source: Historic England