Details

The monument includes a round barrow situated in a prominent position at the
top of the northern scarp edge of the Hackness Hills.
The barrow has an earth and stone mound which stands up to 1.4m high and has a
maximum diameter of 14m. The north edge of the mound has been truncated by the
construction of a surfaced track so that the mound measures only 13m north to
south. In the centre of the mound and extending to its western edge there is a
hollow caused by partial excavation in the past.
The barrow was originally one of five distributed along the top of the scarp
slope and lies in an area where there are many other prehistoric burial
monuments.
The surfaced track which runs east to west and truncates the northern edge of
the mound is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath it 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

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 on Reasty Hill Top 360m south
east of Breckenhurst has survived well. 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 five which were originally distributed along the top of
the northern scarp edge of the Hackness Hills. The association with other
similar monuments provides insight into the distribution of ritual and
funerary activity across the landscape during the prehistoric period.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
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