Details

The monument includes two bowl barrows situated on a prominent upland ridge
overlooking the valley of Seckington Water. These form part of a group of
barrows recorded in this area. The southernmost barrow survives as a slightly
oval mound which measures 35.7m long from east to west, 30.1m wide from north
to south and is 1.4m high. The surrounding ditch from which material to
construct the mound was derived is visible, measuring up to 5.1m wide and 0.1m
deep. The northernmost barrow survives as a circular mound with a diameter of
16.2m and it is 0.3m high. The surrounding ditch is preserved as a buried
feature 2m wide adjoining that of the southern barrow.

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 two barrows 400m north west of Gorvin survive well and form part of a
dispersed group recorded in this area. Both will contain archaeological and
environmental information relating to the monument and its surrounding
landscape.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS21NE508, (1982)
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS21NE509, (1982)

Source: Historic England