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Summary

Remains of a prehistoric bowl barrow or cairn partially levelled. It is visible as an earthwork mound on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2016.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1018048: Bowl barrow on Colaton Raleigh Common, 850m north west of Stowford House

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY08NE/15
• Old SAM County Ref: 60C
• Old SAM Ref: 29649

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN (Mesolithic to Late Bronze Age - 8000 BC to 701 BC (Between))
• BOWL BARROW (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Keene, B., Arrowheads from Prehistoric Devon, 52 (Un-published). SDV325505.

Other details: Manuscript.

Carter, G., 1933-1936, Unreported mounds on Woodbury Common, 291-4 (Report - Survey). SDV114312.

This is not sepulchral.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1953, SY08NE4 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV114313.

Excavated mound with spoil thrown back. It is overgrown. There is no trace of excess spoil. Low, flat-topped mound over a mile due east of Woodbury Castle. About 7m in diameter and 0.3m high, constructed in layers with one cairn above another, pebble patterns and significantly placed blue stones. Under this an ashy layer was found over another cairn containing a piece of coarse pottery, a pebble and a barbed and tanged arrowhead. This was definitely not a burial mound but may reveal parallels with ancient Vedic rites of India. Axe-hammer of Mesolithic type found below mound. Pottery of early Bronze Age.

Robinson, R., 1983, List of Field Monument Warden Visits (Site Visit). SDV114314.

DoE Field Monument Warden visit.

Grinsell, L. V., 1983, The Barrows of South and East Devon, 32 (Article in Serial). SDV337013.

Probert, S. A. J., 1989, RCHME Field Investigation (Report - Survey). SDV234023.

Salvatore, J. P., 1997, Untitled Source, 144405 (Site Visit). SDV114315.

Bowl barrow. Mound survives on east side to about 0.8 metres high and 5 metres wide. The mound was described in 1989 as having been partly levelled and damaged in military training operations (see Probert).

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, 24, Part 1; 51, Part 2: Gazetteer, Site No. 182 (Report - Survey). SDV101648.

Bowl barrow partially excavated in the early 20th century. Finds included Mesolithic type axe hammer, barbed and tanged arrowhead, and Early Bronze Age pottery. Feature severely damaged by past and recent military activity. Mound reduced/hollowed out on northwest side, seemingly to create a crescent shape mound, probably to hide behind during practice manoeuvres. Small square trench cuts the surviving southwest edge of mound; another similar trench cut into site of former northwest side of mound now levelled. These trenches appear of fairly recent origin. Remaining eastern part of mound measures 6.4 metres northwest/southeast by 8.8 metres northeast/southwest by 0.6 metre high. This feature is still being damaged by military training activities.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, Site No. 182 (Archive - Survey). SDV358490.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, Site No. 182 (Report - Survey). SDV359019.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 1935 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Bowl barrow damaged by 19th century and recent activity. Beaker pottery and arrowhead found on site. Scheduled Monument.

Exeter Archaeology, 2007, East Devon Access Land Archaeological Survey 2007, 5-6, Site No. 1935 (Archive - Survey). SDV351571.

Bowl barrow partially excavated in the early 20th century. Finds included Mesolithic type axe hammer, barbed and tanged arrowhead, and Early Bronze Age pottery. Feature severely damaged by past and recent military activity. In 2002, mound seen to be reduced/hollowed out on northwest side, seemingly to create a crescent shape mound, probably to hide behind during practice manoeuvres. Small square trench cuts the surviving southwest edge of mound; another similar trench cut into site of former northwest side of mound now levelled. These trenches appear of fairly recent origin. Remaining eastern part of mound measures 6.4 metres northwest/southeast by 8.8 metres northeast/southwest by 0.6 metre high. This feature is still being damaged by military training activities.

Remains of barrow, now crescent shaped as reported during AONB. Disturbed areas from previous military damage now partially covered with vegetation. There are no obvious signs of further recent damage. The mound is still being used during military exercises, as evidenced by a soldier dummy board found placed within the hollow crescent created on the barrow previously.

Re-advise military of significance of the feature. Recommendation that the feature is avoided during military training. Protection during vegetation clearance.

Possible interpretation as one of a group of barrows in this area.

Unknown, 2009, Pebbles are a Stone's Throw from Fire Ritual (Article in Serial). SDV351562.

Report on archaeological excavation of two pebble cairns on Colaton Raleigh Common in 2009. Article refers to Jacob's Well, Woodbury.

For the past two years the Pebblebeds project team has been excavating a pebble cairn on Colaton Raleigh Common now named Tor Barrow. The cairn was constructed of multiple layers of pebbles in the bottom layers and more recent peaty soil between the top four or five layers. The likely source of the majority of the pebbles used to construct the cairn would be shallow quarry pits or scoops along the valley sides to the west and east. Prof. Tilley speculated Tor Barrow could have been constructed by a small group of people.

Below the central burnt area where cremations are thought to have taken placemat the very centre of Tor Barrow was a pit 44cm in diameter and 40cm deep. This pit was carefully packed from top to bottom with 126 pebbles. Some were placed horizontally, others vertically. Midway down a thin retouched pebble flake was recovered bearing in thickness and form resemblance to a skull fragment.

Unconfirmed as to whether this is the Tor Barrow referenced in the article.

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

Bluesky International, 2016, LiDAR DTM data (0.5m resolution) Blackdown Hills and East Devon AONBs: 3 transects, LIDAR SY0587 Bluesky International DTM 24-APR-2016 (Cartographic). SDV359714.

A small sub-oval earthwork mound is visible.

Tilley, C., 2017, Landscape in the Longue Durée, 85-86, fig 1.10, 3.2-3.3 (Monograph). SDV361032.

Reference to George Carter's excavation of this pebble cairn on Woodbury Common in 1930, 1936 and 1937. Carter named it Woodbury ε (SY 05088 87380) and this was one of a series of excavations of ‘pebbled mounds’ that he undertook in the area during the early 1930s. Carter’s report formed the evidential background to the excavations undertaken by the East Devon Pebblebeds Project in 2008– 11.
Carter described the feature as a flat-topped circular mound covered by a thin turf layer with a ring of large pebbles underneath forming the top edge of a circular cairn made up of alternating layers of turfs, pebbles and sand. The cairn was about 3.6 metres in diameter at the top and 0.6 metres high. The diameter at the base was about 7.0 metres.

Sims, R., 2020, East Devon AONB Lidar Assessment and Desk based Assessment (Interpretation). SDV363914.

A small sub-oval earthwork mound of a possible Bronze Age barrow, circa 9m by 7m, is visible on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2016.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV552 - BARBED AND TANGED ARROWHEAD (Prehistoric - 698000 BC to 42 AD)
• FDV553 - POT (Prehistoric - 698000 BC to 42 AD)
• FDV554 - AXE (Mesolithic - 8000 BC to 4001 BC)
• FDV555 - POT (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC)

Associated Events

• EDV2872 - SY08NE 4
• EDV2873 - List of Field Monument Warden visits
• EDV2874 - Unnamed Event
• EDV2875 - East Devon heathlands archaeological survey
• EDV2876 - Unnamed Event
• EDV8340 - East Devon AONB Lidar Assessment and Desk based Assessment

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