Scheduled Monument: Bowl Barrow 370M East-South-East Of Bearhurst Farm (1007384)

EXTRACT FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE'S RECORD OF SCHEDULED MONUMENTS MONUMENT: Bowl barrow 370m east-south-east of Bearhurst Farm PARISH: HENBURY DISTRICT: MACCLESFIELD COUNTY: CHESHIRE NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 22583 NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE(S): SJ87387202 DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT The monument is a bowl barrow located at the end of a low spur of higher ground 370m east-south-east of Bearhurst Farm. It includes a flat-topped circular mound of sand and earth 17m in diameter and up to 1.3m high. Limited excavation of the barrow undertaken during the 1960's located a cremation in a collared urn covered by a round based vessel. The cinerary urn stood in an ash-filled cremation pit. Additionally over 160 flint fragments were also found including a leaf-shaped arrowhead and many triangular points. A fence surrounding the perimeter of the barrow is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath the fence is included. ASSESSMENT OF IMPORTANCE 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. Despite limited excavation of this monument, the bowl barrow 370m east-south-east of Bearhurst Farm survives reasonably well. This excavation located human remains, pottery and flint, and further evidence of interments and grave goods will exist within the mound and upon the old landsurface beneath. MONUMENT INCLUDED IN THE SCHEDULE ON 19th October 1993