HER 166 DESCRIPTION:-

Scheduled Monument Description:-

The monument includes three bowl barrows, known as Emma's Grove round barrows, situated just below the crest of a hill in the Cotswolds. The southern barrow is the largest, having a mound which measures 32m in diameter, and which is 4.2m high on its western side and 2m high on the east. In the centre of the mound is a large depression about 9m in diameter and 1.2m deep, which is thought to be the result of unrecorded excavation in the past. Surrounding the mound is a ditch up to 4m wide and 1m deep, from which material was excavated during the construction of the barrow. To the north west of the large barrow mound is a second mound, measuring 10m in diameter and 0.6m in height. A third barrow is situated 25m to the north east. This mound measures 12m in diameter and is about 1m high. These two smaller barrows also have depressions in the centre of their mounds which are considered to be the result of unrecorded excavation. Surrounding each of the smaller mounds are ditches from which material was excavated during the construction of the barrows. These ditches are no longer visible at ground level, having become infilled over the years, but survive as buried features about 2m wide.

The three barrows appear to represent at least two phases of construction, with the smaller two barrows predating the larger one.

The scheduling aims to protect the three bowl barrows, including their central mounds, surrounding ditches and a 2m margin around the monument to ensure its protection. The monument therefore has a maximum extent of 62m north-south and 48m east-west. {Source Work 2873.}

The three barrows lie in an area of mixed woodland, known as Emma's Grove, immediately to the east of the A417. All three mounds are covered with numerous deciduous trees, but there is no evidence for scrub growth or animal damage. The agent has recently taken over the management of the land and has agreed that when any forestry is being undertaken in the area, they will begin to remove the tree cover from the mounds. He confirmed that the management of the area is unlikely to change in the future. (pers comm. A Douthwaite 17/11/1998).

A round barrow or castle mound, measures 32 paces diameter x 3.6m high at the west and 1.8m high from the east. It has a hollow in the top measuring 9m diameter by 1.1m deep. The mound is surrounded by a ditch 3.3m wide by 1.1m deep with slight indications of an outer bank. {Source Work 862.}

The mound is 4.2m high with a central depression 0.7m deep. The ditch is 1m deep and there are traces of a counterscarp. Most probably a barrow and not a castle mound because of small area of the top. {Source Work 862.}

Situated in small wood of c1.5 Ha on Surveyor's aerial photographs. {Source Work 521.}

Mound not visible. {Pers comm. S Brown.}

Round barrow and two adjacent smaller ones located in a copse east of the Air Balloon Inn but so heavily overgrown in June 1975 when visited by RL Hall as to be quite un-recognisable {Source Work 599.}

This large mound is tree covered in a wooded enclosure. The hollow in the centre is pronounced & appears to have been recently re-dug. {Source Work 470.} Mound with large ditch. Uncertain whether round barrow or Castle mound. {Source Work 1859.}