Details

The monument includes a prehistoric round barrow, situated on fairly level
ground on a westerly spur of a ridge at Carnon Downs. The barrow has an earth
and stone mound 20.5m in diameter and 0.7m high, with a regular, gently
sloping profile, except to the south where its side is a little steeper. It is
associated with other round barrows beyond this scheduling, which together
form a small ridge-top barrow cemetery.

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 barrows 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 mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered
single or multiple burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as
cemeteries and often acted as a focus of 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 examples recorded nationally (many more have already
been destroyed), occurring across most of Britain, including the Wessex area
where it is often possible to classify them more closely, for example as bowl
or bell barrows. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major
historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable variation in
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 round barrow 120m south east of Parkwood Hill survives reasonably well.
Despite limited antiquarian excavation, the mound remains substantially
intact, as will the underlying old land surface and any surviving original
deposits associated with the mound and old land surface. Its location on a
ridge top in association with other round barrows illustrates the important
role of topography in Bronze Age funerary activity.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:2500 Map
Source Date: 1880
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:

Title: Ordnance Survey 1:2500 Map
Source Date: 1907
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:

Source: Historic England