Details

The monument includes earthwork and associated buried remains of a prehistoric
burial mound located at the southern, uphill end of Bungdale Head Rigg,
overlooking the confluence of Nettle Dale and Rye Dale to the north.
The monument is one of a group of round barrows scattered for 3.5km along the
north side of the watershed to the south of Rye Dale. The other surviving
round barrows of this group are the subject of separate schedulings. With the
removal of intervening trees, the monument would be intervisible with the two
round barrows 0.5km to the ESE, but not with the two barrows 0.6km to the
south west. It is sited on gently sloping ground facing north, overlooking the
head of Bungdale Head Slack just to the east. From a surface inspection the
round barrow appears to be mainly of earthen construction with some small
stones no more than cobble sized. It survives as a mound 10m in diameter up to
0.5m high with a central oval depression up to 4m by 3m which in part is 0.5m
deep. This depression is thought to be the result of an unrecorded antiquarian
excavation. Excavation of other examples of round barrows in the region have
shown that even where no encircling depression is discernible on the modern
ground surface, ditches immediately around the outside of the mound frequently
survive as infilled features, containing additional archaeological deposits. A
margin to allow for such an infilled ditch up to 2m wide is thus also included
within the monument.

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 majority of round barrows in the region were dug into by 19th century
antiquarians in search of burials and artifacts, leaving behind a central
depression as evidence of their work. However excavations in the latter half
of the 20th century have shown that round barrows typically contain
archaeological information that survives earlier digging. Secondary burials
tend to be located within the main body of the mound and sometimes one of
these was mistaken for the primary burial which was usually the goal of the
antiquarian. Even when the primary burial has been excavated, further
secondary burials often survive in the undisturbed surrounding part of the
mound and infilled ditch. Additional valuable information about the mound's
construction and the local environment at the time of its construction will
also survive antiquarian excavation.
The round barrow on Scawton Moor, 620m north west of High Lodge is one of a
extensive group of relatively well preserved round barrows on Scawton Moor
which together will retain important information about Bronze Age society in
the area.

Source: Historic England