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Summary

One of five bowl barrows forming a round barrow cemetery on the edge of Welsford Moor, to the south of Higher Welsford. The barrow mound is visible as a circular earthwork on aerial photographs from 1946 to 2007, and the ring ditch is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs dating to 1959. A hedgebank that bisected the barrow was removed between 1978 and 1999, but significant remains survive.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1019085: Round barrow cemetery 920m south west of Higher Welsford

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS22SE/12
• Old SAM County Ref: 305(3)
• Old SAM Ref: 32238
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SS22SE6(D)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BOWL BARROW (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/158, DCC RAF/3G/TUD/UK/158 5121-5122 19-APR-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349143.

A circular earthwork mound is visible.

Ministry of Works, 1953, Three Barrows west of Welsford Moor (Schedule Document). SDV343728.

One of three round barrows west of Welsford Moor, in an ill-drained field adjoining the moor. Barrow (3) is crossed by a hedgebank. Diameter 70 feet, 3 feet high. Has been ploughed. Other details: Barrow 3.

Royal Air Force, 1959, RAF/58/2984, NMR RAF/58/2984 F22 0031-0032 30-JUN-1959 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349064.

A ring ditch is visible as a dark cropmark. Map object partly based on this source.

Grinsell, L. V., 1970, The Barrows of North Devon, 120 (Article in Serial). SDV7849.

Visited 5th May 1969. Grass. Turf sod structure exposed in hedgebank running north-south, over centre of barrow. Diameter 30 paces, height 3 feet.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977 - 1978, SS22SE6 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV340142.

Visited 6th December 1978. Barrow D. Diameter 34 metres, height 0.8 metres at maximum. Cut through by a hedgebank which dips to indicate a former ditch. Evidently ploughed from time to time.

Ordnance Survey, 1978, OS/78038, NMR OS/78038 242-243 10-MAY-1978 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349082.

A circular mound is visible as an earthwork, and the hedgebank that bisects it appears to rise where it crosses the barrow.

Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology, 1979 - 1981, North Devon Barrow Survey, DCRA ND29 (Archive - Survey). SDV341310.

Site visit 8th November 1979. 30 metres diameter north-south, circa 0.8 metres high. A hedge running north-south across the mound makes measurement difficult. Plough damage great, spread heavily at edges. More substantial on west side of hedge. No sign of ditch. In pasture. Fair condition.

Weston, S., 1982, List of Field Monument Warden Visits (Un-published). SDV345675.

Visited by Department of Environment field monument warden in July/August 1982.

Bayer, O. J., 1996, Barrows in the Torridge District of North West Devon: A Study in Distribution and Location, Hartland 2 (Undergraduate Dissertation). SDV319515.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 1999, Round Barrow Cemetery 920 Metres South-west of Higher Welsford (Schedule Document). SDV340145.

One of a group of five bowl barrows arranged in two pairs with a single outlier, forming a round barrow cemetery on a high upland ridge known as Welsford Moor, 920 metres south-west of Higher Welsford. Within the central pair the eastern mound is 28.3 metres in diameter and 1 metre high. Quarry ditch survives as buried feature approximately 3 metres wide.

GetMapping, 1999 - 2000, Millennium Map 1999-2000 Getmapping (Aerial Photograph). SDV321648.

The field boundary has been removed. Hard copies of these photographs were not available for consultation.

Next Perspectives, 2007, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref:, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: SS2620 22-AUG-2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349178.

The mound is visible as an earthwork, and is greener in colour than the surrounding area.

Collings, A. G. + Manning, P. T. + Valentin, J., 2007, The North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Phase 1. Archaeological Survey. Summary Report (Report - Assessment). SDV339712.

One of five round barrows 920m sw of higher welsford. Eastern mound (ss22se/12) of central pair is 28.3m in diam and 1m high. Quarry ditch survives as buried feature about 3 metres wide.

Collings, A. G. + Manning, P. T. + Valentin, J., 2007, The North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Phase 1. Archaeological Survey. Summary Report, No. 568 (Report - Assessment). SDV339712.

One of 5 round barrows 920 metres south-west of Higher Welsford. Eastern mound of central pair is 28.3 metres in diameter and 1 metre high. Quarry ditch survives as buried feature circa 3 metres wide.

English Heritage, 2009, Heritage at Risk Register 2009: South West, 115 (Report - non-specific). SDV342694.

Generally unsatisfactory with major localised problems. Principal vulnerability arable ploughing.

English Heritage, 2010, Heritage at Risk Register 2010: South West, 108 (Report - non-specific). SDV344777.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S., 2011 - 2012, North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV349018.

The barrow mound is visible as a circular earthwork on aerial photographs from 1946 to 2007, and the ring ditch is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs dating to 1959. A hedgebank that bisected the barrow, aligned noth to south, was visibly higher over the mound on aerial photographs dating to 1978, but had been removed by 1999. Both the construction and removal, as well as the continued cultivation, will have has a negative impact on the condition of this feature, but significant remains survive.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

The feature depicted on the OS map does not quite match that visible on the aerial photographs.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV319515	Undergraduate Dissertation: Bayer, O. J.. 1996. Barrows in the Torridge District of North West Devon: A Study in Distribution and Location. University of Leicester Dissertation. A4 Stapled + Digital. Hartland 2.
SDV321648	Aerial Photograph: GetMapping. 1999 - 2000. Millennium Map 1999-2000 Getmapping. Millennium Map. Photograph (Digital).
SDV339712	Report - Assessment: Collings, A. G. + Manning, P. T. + Valentin, J.. 2007. The North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Phase 1. Archaeological Survey. Summary Report. Exeter Archaeology Report. 06.22 (rev.1). A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV340142	Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. 1977 - 1978. SS22SE6. Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card. Card Index.
SDV340145	Schedule Document: Department for Culture, Media and Sport. 1999. Round Barrow Cemetery 920 Metres South-west of Higher Welsford. The Schedule of Monuments. A4 Stapled.
SDV341310	Archive - Survey: Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology. 1979 - 1981. North Devon Barrow Survey. Devon Barrow Survey. Digital + Mixed Archive Material. DCRA ND29.
SDV342694	Report - non-specific: English Heritage. 2009. Heritage at Risk Register 2009: South West. English Heritage Report. A4 Bound +Digital. 115.
SDV343728	Schedule Document: Ministry of Works. 1953. Three Barrows west of Welsford Moor. The Schedule of Monuments. Foolscap.
SDV344777	Report - non-specific: English Heritage. 2010. Heritage at Risk Register 2010: South West. English Heritage Report. Digital. 108.
SDV345675	Un-published: Weston, S.. 1982. List of Field Monument Warden Visits. Lists of Field Monument Warden Visits. Printout.
SDV349018	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S.. 2011 - 2012. North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. ACD383/2/1. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV349064	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1959. RAF/58/2984. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/58/2984 F22 0031-0032 30-JUN-1959. [Mapped feature: #65427 ]
SDV349082	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1978. OS/78038. Ordnance Survey Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR OS/78038 242-243 10-MAY-1978.
SDV349143	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/3G/TUD/UK/158. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). DCC RAF/3G/TUD/UK/158 5121-5122 19-APR-1946.
SDV349178	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2007. Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref:. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: SS2620 22-AUG-2007.
SDV355681	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2014. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital.
SDV7849	Article in Serial: Grinsell, L. V.. 1970. The Barrows of North Devon. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 28. A5 Paperback. 120.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6132 - North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty NMP Project
• EDV4415 - Devon Barrow Survey

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