Scheduled Monument: Bowl Barrow 30M South-West Of Fishpool Lane Farm (1007631)

EXTRACT FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE'S RECORD OF SCHEDULED MONUMENTS MONUMENT: Bowl barrow 30m south-west of Fishpool Lane Farm PARISH: DELAMERE DISTRICT: VALE ROYAL COUNTY: CHESHIRE NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 23616 NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE(S): SJ56596708 DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT The monument is a bowl barrow located on the crest of a hillslope 30m south-west of Fishpool Lane Farm. It includes a slightly oval earthen mound up to 0.4m high with maximum dimensions of 18m by 16m. It was originally one of a group of seven barrows known collectively as the Seven Lows. Of these only five remain identifiable. 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 some stock erosion to the monument's surface, the bowl barrow 30m south-west of Fishpool Lane Farm survives reasonably well. It is a rare survival in Cheshire of an unexcavated example of this class of monument and will retain undisturbed archaeological deposits within the mound and upon the old landsurface beneath. SCHEDULING HISTORY Monument included in the Schedule on 30th May 1958 as part of: COUNTY/NUMBER: Cheshire 59 NAME: Three Round Barrows at Seven Lows Scheduling amended on 24th February 1978 to: COUNTY/NUMBER : Cheshire 59 NAME: Round Barrows at Seven Lows The reference of this monument is now: NATIONAL MONUMENT NUMBER: 23616 NAME: Bowl barrow 30m south-west of Fishpool Lane Farm SCHEDULING REVISED ON 21st February 1994