Scheduled Monument: Bowl Barrow West Of Highfield Lane (1011124)

EXTRACT FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE'S RECORD OF SCHEDULED MONUMENTS MONUMENT: Bowl barrow west of Highfield Lane PARISH: WINWICK DISTRICT: WARRINGTON COUNTY: WARRINGTON NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 22597 NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE(S): SJ61379320 DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT The monument is a bowl barrow located on flat land west of Highfield Lane. It includes an oval-shaped earthen mound up to 1.2m high with maximum dimensions of 37m north-south by 25m east-west. Limited antiquarian investigation of the barrow in 1859 located fragments of funerary urns and cremated human bones. 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 a combination of limited antiquarian investigation and regular ploughing, the bowl barrow west of Highfield Lane survives reasonably well. This investigation located human remains and pottery and further evidence of interments and grave goods will exist within the mound and upon the old landsurface beneath. SCHEDULING HISTORY Monument included in the Schedule on 25th November 1969 as: COUNTY/NUMBER: Lancashire 145 NAME: Round barrow 500ft N of the Towers, Winwick Scheduling amended on 2nd March 1970 to: COUNTY/NUMBER : Lancashire 145 NAME: Round barrow 350ft (110m) north of junction of Myddleton Lane and Highfield Lane Scheduling amended on 1st April 1974 to: COUNTY/NUMBER : Cheshire 109 NAME: Round barrow 350ft (110m) north of junction of Myddleton Lane and Highfield Lane The reference of this monument is now: NATIONAL MONUMENT NUMBER: 22597 NAME: Bowl barrow west of Highfield Lane SCHEDULING REVISED ON 28th September 1993