Details

The monument includes a round barrow situated on a level ridge between Hard
Dale Gill and the Derwent valley, towards the western edge of Broxa Forest.
The barrow has an earth and stone mound which stands up to 1m high and
measures 11m in diameter. In the centre of the mound there is a hollow caused
by part excavation in 1949. This investigation uncovered the remains of six
cremations and showed the barrow to have been constructed as a mound of stone
sealed by a clay dome. The cremations were accompanied by pottery, flint tools
and a bone hook.
The barrow is one of a group of four and lies in an area rich in prehistoric
burial monuments.

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.

Despite limited disturbance, the round barrow in Broxa Forest 850m WSW of
Highdales has survived well. Significant information about the original form
of the barrow and the burials placed within it will be preserved. Evidence for
earlier land use and the contemporary environment will also survive beneath
the barrow mound.
The barrow is one of a group of four burial monuments and such clusters
provide important insight into the development of ritual and funerary practice
during the Bronze Age.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Smith, M J B, Excavated Bronze Age Burial Mounds of Durham and N' land., (1994), 147
Spratt, D A , 'Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology in North East Yorkshire' in Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology of North East Yorkshire, , Vol. 87, (1993)

Source: Historic England