Details

Cronkston Low bowl barrow is a sub-circular cairn situated on the crest of
Cronkston Low in the western upland ridges of the limestone plateau of
Derbyshire. The monument includes a mound measuring 16.5m by 14.5m standing
at a height of c.2m. A kerb of large limestone blocks is visible around the
perimeter of the mound which is also encircled by a 3m wide rock-cut ditch.
During partial excavations carried out by the Batemans in 1825 and 1849, two
crouched skeletons were found in a cist and rock-cut grave respectively, and
also a cremation. These burials, in addition to a flint tool found with one
of the skeletons, indicate a Bronze Age date for the barrow.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 3 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 partial disturbance caused by excavation, Cronkston Low bowl barrow is
still a well preserved example containing further significant archaeological
remains. Unusually for the Peak District this barrow clearly exhibits a
surrounding ditch.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Barnatt, J, The Peak District Barrow Survey (1989), (1989)
Barnatt, J, The Peak District Barrow Survey (1989), (1989)
Bateman, T, Vestiges of the Antiquities of Derbyshire, (1849)
Bateman, T, Ten Years Diggings in Celtic and Saxon Grave-Hills, (1861)
Marsden, B M, The Burial Mounds of Derbyshire , (1977)

Source: Historic England