Details

The monument, which includes three bowl barrows in three separate areas of
protection, is located on a high upland ridge overlooking the valleys of
tributaries to Henford Water. The three barrow mounds vary in diameter between
31.2m and 9.6m, and in height between 0.8m and 0.6m. They are arranged in a
linear grouping which lies on a north east to south west alignment. Each
barrow mound is surrounded by a quarry ditch from which material was derived
during its construction. These ditches are no longer visible but survive as
approximately 3m wide buried features. Five other barrows which make up the
cemetery lie to the north east and south east and are the subject of separate
schedulings. The central barrow of the group has been partially cut by a
ditched hedge bank and the road. The southernmost barrow has also been partly
cut by field boundaries to the south and west.
The field boundaries which cross these barrows, together with stock proof
fences, are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath these
features is included.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They comprise
closely-spaced groups of up to 30 round barrows - rubble or earthen mounds
covering single or multiple burials. Most cemeteries developed over a
considerable period of time, often many centuries, and in some cases acted as
a focus for burials as late as the early medieval period. They exhibit
considerable diversity of burial rite, plan and form, frequently including
several different types of round barrow, occasionally associated with earlier
long barrows. Where large scale investigation has been undertaken around them,
contemporary or later "flat" burials between the barrow mounds have often been
revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland Britain, with a
marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases, they are clustered around other
important contemporary monuments such as henges. Often occupying prominent
locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape, whilst
their diversity and their longevity as a monument type provide important
information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early
prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period
and a substantial proportion of surviving or partly-surviving examples are
considered worthy of protection.

The three barrows 350m south east of Sandymoor Cross, which form part of a
dispersed round barrow cemetery, survive comparatively well and will contain
both archaeological and environmental information relating to the monument and
the surrounding landscape.
All three barrows are bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow
with over 10,000 recorded nationally. They were constructed of earthen or
rubble mounds covering single or multiple burials.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX39NE6, (1983)
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX39NE7, (1983)
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX39NE8, (1983)

Source: Historic England