Details

The monument includes a bowl barrow constructed in a west facing position on a
steeply sloping chalk spur of the Hampshire North Downs. The spur faces Old
Winchester Hill to the south and overlooks the Meon Valley to the west. The
barrow is roughly circular and includes a central mound, about 0.7m high with
a diameter of about 14.5m, enclosed to the north, east and south by an
infilled penannular ditch, approximately 3m wide and up to 0.15m deep. The
mound is spread by rabbit-induced slumping on the west and north west sides
and has a hollow centre indicative of past excavation. Upslope, to the north,
the ditch and mound have been partially buried by a lynchet which crosses the
spur in a north-south direction. This lynchet and three further prominent
lynchets which cross the spur about 50m downlsope from the barrow are probably
the result of later medieval cultivation and, except where one crosses the
barrow, they are not included in the scheduling.

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 825m north of Old Winchester Hill survives well despite some
disturbance and is likely to contain archaeological remains and environmental
evidence relating to its original construction and later use. The monument is
situated within the Old Winchester Hill National Nature Reserve close to a
public carpark and walking trail.

Source: Historic England