Details

The monument, a round barrow cemetery, includes the above ground and buried
remains of at least six Bronze Age bowl barrows situated on Venn Ottery Hill
in Newton Poppleford. The barrows occupy a position below the crest on the
eastern slope of the hill which lies centrally between two east flowing
tributaries of the River Otter. They survive as earthworks recorded over the
years by way of survey and field observations. The barrows form a group at
intervals from one another of no more than 60m; two barrows in the centre of
the group are immediately adjacent. Whilst not in a strict linear formation
the barrows nevertheless conform to an approximate north west-south east
alignment over a total distance of about 150m. The height of the barrow mounds
within the group varies between a minimum 0.3m to a maximum height of 1m; the
diameter of the mounds varies between a minimum of 4m to a maximum of 9.5m. At
least two of the group have evidence for a surrounding quarry ditch. Some of
the mounds are damaged by trenching, possibly the result of early antiquarian
excavation. A number of other small mounds in the immediate vicinity
of the known barrow group have been recorded but await identification as
barrows.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 5 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They comprise
closely-spaced groups of up to 30 round barrows - rubble or earthen mounds
covering single or multiple burials. Most cemeteries developed over a
considerable period of time, often many centuries, and in some cases acted as
a focus for burials as late as the early medieval period. They exhibit
considerable diversity of burial rite, plan and form, frequently including
several different types of round barrow, occasionally associated with earlier
long barrows. Where large scale investigation has been undertaken around them,
contemporary or later "flat" burials between the barrow mounds have often been
revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland Britain, with a
marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases, they are clustered around other
important contemporary monuments such as henges. Often occupying prominent
locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape, whilst
their diversity and their longevity as a monument type provide important
information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early
prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period
and a substantial proportion of surviving or partly-surviving examples are
considered worthy of protection.

Despite some damage due to suspected antiquarian excavation, the round barrow
cemetery on Venn Ottery Hill will contain archaeological and environmental
evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was built. The
cemetery is an unusual example of its class having occupied a less than
prominent position in the landscape being on the side, rather than on the
crest, of the hill on which it was sited.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Grinsell, L V, 'Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society' in Barrows of South and East Devon, , Vol. 41, (1983), 40
Grinsell, L V, 'Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society' in Barrows of South and East Devon, , Vol. 41, (1983), 40
Grinsell, L V, 'Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society' in Barrows of South and East Devon, , Vol. 41, (1983), 40
Grinsell, L V, 'Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society' in Barrows of South and East Devon, , Vol. 41, (1983), 40
Grinsell, L V, 'Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society' in The Barrows of South and East Devon, (1983), 40
Grinsell, L V, 'Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society' in The Barrows of South and East Devon, (1983), 40
Other
Griffiths, D, Newton Poppleford Parish worksheet (unpublished), 1982,
Title: Ordnance Survey
Source Date: 1890
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:

Title: Ordnance Survey
Source Date: 1953
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:

Title: Ordnance Survey
Source Date: 1953
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:

Source: Historic England