Details

This monument includes a bowl barrow situated in a valley bottom between the
River Culm and the River Exe, above the present floodplain and to the north of
the confluence of these two rivers.
The barrow survives as a circular mound which measures 16.4m in diameter and
0.7m high. The surrounding ditch from which material to construct the mound
was derived measures approximately 3m wide and is preserved as a buried
feature.
The field boundary which runs immediately south of the barrow and impinges on
its 2m protective margin is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground
beneath is included.

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 immediately north west of Speedway Garage, 640m south of
Ruffwell Hotel survives comparatively well, despite reduction in its height
through cultivation. It will contain archaeological information relating to
the monument and its use and construction, as well as environmental evidence
about the surrounding landscape.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS90SW32, (1986)

Source: Historic England