Details

This monument, which falls into three areas of protection, includes three bowl
barrows which lie 160m north west of Venn Cottages and are situated on a high
upland ridge which overlooks the valley of a tributary to the River Torridge.
These three barrows form part of a larger cemetery which lies along this
ridge. The other clusters lie to the north, north east and north west and are
the subject of separate schedulings.
The easternmost barrow survives as a circular mound which measures 32.7m
in diameter and stands up to 1.8m high. The surrounding ditch, from which
material was quarried during the construction of the mound, is preserved
mainly as a buried feature, although it may be traced on the northern side
where it measures 4.4m wide and 0.1m deep.
The central barrow survives as a 27.4m circular mound standing up to 1.8m
high. The surrounding ditch is visible, especially on the east where it
measures 4.7m wide and 0.1m deep. This ditch is partially cut on the southern
side by a ditched field boundary. A central depression on the top of the mound
may be the result of a partial early excavation or robbing.
The westernmost barrow survives as a circular mound which measures 26.7m in
diameter and up to 0.5m high. The surrounding quarry ditch is preserved as a
buried feature.

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

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.

The three bowl barrows 160m north west of Venn Cottages form part of a well
preserved and extensive round barrow cemetery in a prominent ridge top
location. Archaeological and environmental information relating to the
monument and the landscape in which it was constructed survives in and under
these mounds.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS31NE8, (1982)
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS31NE9, (1987)
MPP fieldwork by H. Gerrard, Gerrard, H., (1997)

Source: Historic England