HER 79 DESCRIPTION:-

Scheduled Monument Description:-

The monument includes a bowl barrow situated below the crest of a north west facing hill in the Cotswolds, 380m south east of Hill Farm. The barrow mound measures 24m in diameter and is about 3m high. Surrounding the mound is a ditch from which material was excavated during the construction of the barrow. This is no longer visible at ground level but survives as a buried feature about 3m wide. There is a large depression in the centre of the barrow mound, about 4.5m across and 1.5m deep, which is thought to be the result of an unrecorded excavation in the past. When the barrow was partially excavated by E Clifford in 1937, it was found to have been opened previously and the centre disturbed. The mound was found to have been constructed entirely of freestone, without the use of soil, and below it, in the centre was a rock-cut boat-shaped tomb, lined with drystone walling and presumed to have originally been covered with stone slabs. The remains of between 28 and 44 individuals were found in the tomb, and the bones of an adult male had been incorporated into the mound itself. Pottery found in the tomb and mound has been dated to the Early Bronze Age, although the burial rites are Neolithic in character. It is thought that the barrow therefore dates to a transitional period between the burial rites of the Neolithic and Bronze Ages.

The fence which runs immediately to the east of the barrow is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground immediately beneath it is included.

The scheduling aims to protect the bowl barrow, including the central mound, its surrounding ditch and a 2m margin around the monument to ensure its protection. The monument therefore has a maximum diameter of 34m. {Source Work 2873.}

Management notes:

The barrow is in reasonable condition, lying within a belt of woodland. One very large, mature deciduous tree is growing out of the east side of the mound, and a number of immature trees and ivy cover much of the rest of it. Although the barrow lies in private land there is evidence from worn footpaths that large numbers of people are walking through the area. Attempts have been made to stop the trespassing using fencing and thorn bushes, all of which have been systematically removed by people determined to gain access to the area. {Source Work 2873.}

1937 - Excavated by E Clifford in 1937. The mound is built entirely of stone without any admixture of soil and is still an imposing monument. Sections cut show that the denuded mound is still five feet high above the old turf line. In the centre of the mound a boat-shaped rock-cut tomb was discovered five feet below the turf line. This was originally covered with slabs of stone laid horizontally (two of which are lying outside the barrow) before the cairn was built over it. A large quantity of human bones and a few animal bones were found in the tomb and in the north-south section a number of human bones were incorporated with the stones which formed the mound. Pottery was found on the ledge where the slabs had formerly been and this is being examined by Mr Stuart Piggott. {Source Work 8590.}

1962 - The Soldier's Grave is noted as a unique monument within the country in the Presidential Address made by HS Gracie to members of the Cotteswold Naturalists Field Club on 22 January 1962. This is noted as a round barrow of the Early Bronze Age covering a boat-shaped and rock-cut grave in which more than 20 individuals had been interred. {Source Work 10152.}

1969 - A round cairn situated in a wood about 230yds north of Nympsfield long barrow (heR 78) measuring 56' diameter 7' high, known as the Soldiers Grave. When excavated by Mrs Clifford in 1937 {Source Work 3228.}, it was found to have been opened previously and the centre removed. The mound was built entirely of freestone, without any admixture of soil, and below it in the centre was a rock-cut boat-shaped tomb lined with dry stone walling, and presumed to have been originally covered by stone slabs, 2 of which found nearby. 28-44 individuals in tomb, one male's bones incorporated in mound. Pottery found in tomb and mound dated Early Bronze Age by Stuart Piggott - although burial rites Neolithic. Shape of tomb may relate to late B1 Beaker makers. {Source Work 862.}

1972 - OS - A mutilated cairn up to 2.3m high with an off centre 1.5m deep pit. {Source Work 86.}

1947 - RAF aerial photographs (AP) - Situated within woodland. Mound is visible. {Source Work 864.}

1976 - Saville - In Buckholt Wood lining the scarp edge at this point. Mutilated mound with large hole in centre. No plough damage. Should be scheduled. {Source Work 470.}

1978 - Darvill -The curious boat-shaped burial pit at Soldier's Grave near Nympsfield long barrow may be of late Neolithic date and when excavated produced some pottery of late Neolithic or Beaker date. {Source Work 1866.}

2019 - This monument was previously recorded within the Historic England National Record of the Historic Environment. Additional information from that record, formerly held within the AMIE database, is quoted below:

"SO79370152 A mutilated cairn up to 2.3 metres high with an off-centre, 1.5 metre deep pit. Surveyed at 1/2500 (4)

The soldier's Grave round barrow is suggested by Darvill as of a category that may be dated to the Neolithic period. (5)

Soldier's Grave. Listed by Kinnis as an example of a Neolithic round cairn with a boat-shaped rock-cut pit containing the fragmentary disarticulated remains of a minimum of 28 adults and children and plain pottery. (6)

A round cairn of Early Bronze Age (or possibly Late Neolithic) date located circa 200 metres north of the Nympsfield long barrow (SO 70 SE 6) on the escarpment edge overlooking the vale of Berkeley. It was excavated in 1937, although by then it had been considerably disturbed, presumably by earlier unrecorded excavations. In 1937, it was measured at 56 feet in diameter and 7 feet high, although the previous unrecorded digging had left the centre resembling a large crater rather than a mound. The mound consisted entirely of stone, with no earth content. A stone kerb also appears to have originally surrounded the foot of the mound. Beneath the centre was a rock-cut boat-shaped pit lined with drystone walling, the "pointy" end facing south. The pit is presumed to have been covered originally by slabs, some being found in the nearby woodland. The pit was a maximum 11 feet in length and 4.5 feet wide, and was up to 3.75 feet deep. The pit contained a large quantity of disturbed, disarticulated and fragmented human remains representing between 28 and 44 individuals, adult and children, male and female all being represented. Some animal bones (ox, pig and dog) were also in the pit, as were two sherds of pottery. Some potsehrds were also found on the edge of the pit, while further sherds and animal bones were contained within the mound, along with the skeletal remains of a further adult male. The pottery was considered at the time to be Early Bronze Age, although the sherds are undiagnostic and effectively undated. The collective nature of the burials has prompted comparisons with Neolithic burial practices, although again the remains are effectively undated. (2, 6, 8-10)

There were no visible earthworks of the round cairn described above (Sources 1-10) on available aerial photographs or lidar imagery, viewed as part of the Severn Vale NMP project, due to dense vegetation cover. (11)" {Source Work 4249.}