Details

The monument includes the buried and earthwork remains of a bowl barrow,
located in a prominent position on rising ground above the junction of the M6
motorway and the A426 Lutterworth to Market Harborough road.
The barrow mound is irregular with evidence of disturbance on the south side.
It stands to a height of between 4m to 5m, with a maximum diameter of
approximately 30m. Although no longer easily visible at ground level, a slight
depression at the base of the mound is the remains of a ditch, from which
material was quarried during the construction of the mound. This has been
partly infilled over the years, but survives as a buried feature approximately
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

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 bowl barrow 470m south west of Coton House survives well and is believed
to include both primary and secondary burials and associated artefacts. These
will provide information about the dietary habits, diseases and standards of
living of the local population. Artefactual evidence will also provide
evidence for social status as well as ritual and funerary practices. The
ditches and barrow mound preserve buried ground surfaces which will provide
information about the landscape, environment and climate in the vicinity at
the time of the barrows construction and use.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Various SMR officers, Various unpublished notes in SMR, WA2780

Source: Historic England