Details

The monument includes a prehistoric round barrow, situated on level ground
on a ridge south of Playing Place. The barrow has an earth mound 12.8m in
diameter and 0.3m high, with a regular, gently sloping profile.

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 290m north east of Penventon survives comparatively well.
Although the mound has been reduced by ploughing in the past, it remains
substantially intact, as will the underlying old land surface and any
surviving original deposits associated with the mound and old land surface.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Henderson, C, 'Parochial Antiquities' in Parochial Antiquities, , Vol. 5, (1917), 117,139
Other
SW 84 SW 6, Ordnance Survey , Ordnance Survey Index Card, (1965)
Thomas, R, Letter to the West Briton, (1851)
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:2500 Map
Source Date: 1879
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:

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

Watts, SP to Parkes, C, (1999)

Source: Historic England