Details

The monument includes a round barrow which occupies a prominent position
on top of a natural rise overlooking Moss Dike. It lies on Middle Jurassic
sandstone on the North York Moors.

The barrow has a well-defined sub-circular mound constructed from earth
and stone, which measures 11m in diameter and stands up to 1.3m high. The
mound was originally surrounded by a kerb of boulders, but over the years
this has become partly buried by soil and vegetation and now only four
stones are visible around the edges. Partial excavation in the past has
left a depression in the centre of the mound.

The barrow is one of a pair which lie in an area surrounded by many other
prehistoric monuments, particularly burials, which are often located in
prominent and highly visible locations in the landscape.

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 Goathland Moor, 360m west
of Collinson Bield has survived well. Significant 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 mound.

The barrow is one of a pair which lie close to a number of other
prehistoric monuments. Clusters such as this provide important insight
into the development of ritual and funerary practice during the Bronze
Age. The association with other monuments within the area contributes to
our understanding of prehistoric landscape exploitation.

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, (1993)

Source: Historic England