Details

The scheduling includes two prehistoric round barrows, situated on near
level ground on top of a ridge north of St Columb Major. They are
associated with other barrows beyond this scheduling, forming a small
outlying group within a wider hill and ridgetop barrow cemetery. The
scheduling is divided into two separate areas of protection.
The western barrow in the scheduling has an earth and stone mound with a
sub-circular plan and a bowl-like profile, measuring around 22.8m across
and 1.3m high. It is considered to have been smoothed by ploughing. There
is no evidence of a ditch surrounding the mound.
The barrow to the east has a mound containing dark earth and shillet
(local stone) rubble. It is circular in plan, being approximately 20m in
diameter, and is reduced by ploughing, rising in a gentle curve to a
height of 0.3m. Again, no external ditch is known.

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 modification, the two round barrows 150m south west and
180m south east of Prince Parc survive fairly well. The underlying old
land surfaces, and remains of any structures or other deposits associated
with these and with the upstanding earthworks, will also survive. The
ridgetop location illustrates the important role of topography in
prehistoric funerary activity.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
MS at RIC library, Truro. Date approx, Henderson, C, Notebooks of Parochial Antiquities, Notebooks of Parochial Antiquities, (1917)
Saunders, AD, AM7, (1956)
SW 96 NW 26, Brown, JG, Ordnance Survey Index Card, (1977)
SW 96 NW 26, Fletcher, MJ, Ordnance Survey Index Card, (1972)
SW 96 NW 48, Quinnell, NV, Ordnance Survey Index Card, (1977)
Title: Cornwall Mapping Project
Source Date: 1995
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:

Title: Ordnance Survey 1" Map
Source Date: 1810
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:
Date approx
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:2500 Map
Source Date: 1880
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:
Date approx.
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:2500 Map
Source Date: 1908
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:
Date approx.
Title: St Columb Major Tithe Apportionment
Source Date: 1840
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:

Title: St Columb Major Tithe Apportionment
Source Date: 1840
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:
1855

Source: Historic England