Details

The monument includes earthwork and associated buried remains of a
prehistoric burial mound sited on high ground just over 1km south west of
East Appleton Hall. A second smaller round barrow, the subject of a
separate scheduling, lies 530m to the ENE.

The round barrow is 25m in diameter and 3.5m high. Around its lower slopes
there are quantities of stones and boulders, at least some of which is
thought to be clearance from the surrounding arable field, although some
are considered to be part of the original make up of the mound. There are
no records of any archaeological excavations of the barrow. There is a
scooped depression on the south eastern flank which has the appearance of
a lost root plate from a fallen tree, but could be from an unrecorded
excavation. There is also a local story that one of the first thoroughbred
racehorses was buried in the barrow in the 18th century. The barrow is
very prominent with an uninterrupted view across the Vale of Mowbray. It
is also intervisible with the barrow just over 0.5km to the east.

Although there are no obvious indications of an encircling ditch,
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 3m 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 5 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, 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 or rubble mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered single or multiple
burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as cemeteries and often
acted as a focus for 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 bowl
barrows recorded nationally (many more have already been destroyed), occurring
across most of lowland Britain. Often occupying prominent locations, they are
a major historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable
variation of 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. The round barrow 650m north west of
Winterfield House appears to have escaped undisturbed and is remarkably
well-preserved. The possibility that it also includes the remains of an
18th century thoroughbred racing horse adds to its interest and
importance.

Source: Historic England