Details

The monument, which lies in two separate areas, includes two bowl barrows
which lie 350m apart on Rodmead Hill 560m and 670m east of Rodmead Farm. The
barrows, which are aligned approximately north-south, each include a mound 14m
in diameter and approximately 0.8m high. Each mound is surrounded by a ditch
from which material for its construction was quarried. These have become
infilled but will survive as buried features 2m wide.
The northern barrow, which lies on a north facing slope, shows signs of
disturbance to the centre of the mound which may be the result of partial
excavation carried out by Sir Richard Colt Hoare in the early 19th century.
The southern barrow, which lies on level ground at the head of a narrow
coombe, was also possibly excavated by Colt Hoare.
All marker bollards are excluded from the scheduling although the ground
beneath these features is included.

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 barrows 560m and 670m east of Rodmead Farm are well preserved
examples of their class. Despite infilling of their ditches the barrows
exhibit largely original profiles and will contain archaeological remains
providing information about Bronze Age beliefs, economy and environment.

Source: Historic England