Ancient Monuments

History on the Ground

This site is entirely user-supported. See how you can help.

Bowl barrow in Brickkiln Covert, Knettishall Heath

A Scheduled Monument in Knettishall, Suffolk

We don't have any photos of this monument yet. Why don't you be the first to send us one?

Upload Photo »

Approximate Location Map
Large Map »

If Google Street View is available, the image is from the best available vantage point looking, if possible, towards the location of the monument. Where it is not available, the satellite view is shown instead.

Coordinates

Latitude: 52.3851 / 52°23'6"N

Longitude: 0.8814 / 0°52'52"E

OS Eastings: 596186.377617

OS Northings: 280248.158992

OS Grid: TL961802

Mapcode National: GBR SG4.FN2

Mapcode Global: VHKCN.799X

Entry Name: Bowl barrow in Brickkiln Covert, Knettishall Heath

Scheduled Date: 29 August 1962

Last Amended: 4 February 1999

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1018673

English Heritage Legacy ID: 31106

County: Suffolk

Civil Parish: Knettishall

Traditional County: Suffolk

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Suffolk

Church of England Parish: Riddlesworth St Peter

Church of England Diocese: Norwich

Details

The monument includes a bowl barrow located on a spur of high ground above the
valley of the Little Ouse river, which runs 700m to the north. The barrow is
visible as an earthen mound, which stands to a height of about 1.5m and covers
a roughly circular area with a maximum diameter of about 28m. It is thought
that the mound is encircled by a ditch with an estimated width of 3m, from
which the earth was quarried during the construction of the barrow and
although this has become completely infilled and is no longer visible, it will
survive 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

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 in Brickkiln Covert survives well and will retain
archaeological information concerning its construction and the manner and
duration of its use. Evidence for the local environment prior to and during
that time will also be preserved, in the upstanding earthwork, in soils buried
beneath the mound and in the fill of the buried ditch. The proximity of the
barrow to a number of other barrows in this part of the Breckland region,
including the bowl barrow at Hut Hill which is sited about 720m to the west,
give it additional interest. Together these barrows give some evidence of the
character, development and density of the prehistoric population in this area.

Source: Historic England

Other nearby scheduled monuments

AncientMonuments.uk is an independent online resource and is not associated with any government department. All government data published here is used under licence. Please do not contact AncientMonuments.uk for any queries related to any individual ancient or schedued monument, planning permission related to scheduled monuments or the scheduling process itself.

AncientMonuments.uk is a Good Stuff website.