Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Round barrow

Monument Types

• ROUND BARROW (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)

Full description

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`Pits and tumuli' in Westwood, Lyminge. For the Pits see TR 14 SW 19) (1)

(TR 136430) Group of six round barrows in West Wood. Scheduled (2).

TR 139424. 287/d. Diameter 17yds., height 3ft. (a). Barely recognisable as a barrow. Very low (b).

From the National Heritage List for England:

Details:

This barrow lies at the southern end of West Wood some 30m north-east of its nearest neighbour. The monument includes a low bowl barrow which comprises an earthen mound 16m across and at most 0.4m high, and an encircling ditch which has been completely infilled by erosion of the mound. The mound and ditch together have a diameter of 20m.

Reasons for Designation:

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. Their ubiquity and their tendency to occupy prominent locations makes them 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 organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection. Although this example has been spread during sylvicultural activity, it still retains significant archaeological potential since the crucial areas such as the old ground surface survive undisturbed. This is also one of a group of similar monuments in West Wood which demonstrate the importance of the area for burials in the Bronze Age.


Survey undertaken by Nicola Bannister in 2004 found the barrow to be recorded in the wrong location. Previously incorrectly located at TQ 13866 42697. Correct location at TQ 13852 42785. The barrow was surveyed as being roughly circular in shape, c.14m-16m, with an almost silted ditch beyond. The mound currently stands c.1.0m high. Under dense vegetation when surveyed so measurements and form are approximate. The southern and eastern sides have been truncated by vehicles. (4)

<1> Arch J 40 1883 292 (F C J Spurrell) (OS Card Reference). SKE36629.

<2> DOE (IAM) AMs Eng 2 1978 109 (OS Card Reference). SKE40685.

<3> AM 7 D Sherlock 1972 (OS Card Reference). SKE33004.

<4> Nicola Bannister, 2004, West Wood, Nr Lyminge, Round Barrows: Archaeological Assessment (Unpublished document). SKE15651.

Sources and further reading