Details

The monument includes a round barrow situated in a low-lying area of clay and
gravel adjacent to a stream. The barrow has a mound up to 12m in diameter and
0.2m in height. Partial excavation in 1933 revealed that the core of the mound
was comprised of burnt earth and charcoal, sealed beneath which the old land
surface was visible as a black layer formed by decayed vegetation. The mound
had been degraded by ploughing prior to excavation and the only finds, two
pieces of grey ware pot bases and a bead-rim of sandy grey ware, all of which
came from its upper surface and date to approximately the early first century
AD, are thought to be the result of subsequent activity on the site. The
pottery was similar to material recovered from a Romano-British settlement
250m to the south, excavated between 1933 and 1948 but subsequently destroyed
through cliff erosion.

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 barrow 600m south east of Sudmoor Cottage is a particularly rare survival
on the Isle of Wight given its unusual topographical and geological placement.
It survives as a visible earthwork which will retain archaeological
information pertaining to its construction and use. In addition the old land
surface sealed beneath the mound is likely to contain environmental evidence
relating to the landscape in which the barrow was placed.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Dunning, G C, 'Antiquaries Journal' in Belgic Hut and Barrows in the Isle of Wight, , Vol. 15, (1935), 355-358
Hookey, T P, 'Proc.Isle of Wight Natural History and Archaeological Society' in The Romano-British Site at Sudmoor, , Vol. 4, (1951), 214-216
Other
Isle of Wight County Council, Record Number 7, (1981)
Ordnance Survey, Antiquity Card for SZ 38 SE 4, (1967)
RCHME, UID 459516,

Source: Historic England