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Summary

One of two bowl barrows 180 metres east of Putts Corner, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Gittisham Hill. Partly excavated by Kirwan in 1869. Visible as a circular earthwork mound on images derived from lidar data captured in 2016.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1014252: An enclosure and two bowl barrows 180m east of Putts Corner, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Gittisham Hill
• SHINE: Prehistoric barrows and earthworks on Gittisham Hill, part of the Farway barrow cemetery

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY19NW/3
• Old SAM County Ref: 127C
• Old SAM Ref: 27407

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Griffith, F. M., 06/09/1991, DAP/UR, 1-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDV336581.

Worth, R. N., 1880, 2nd Report of the Barrow Committee, 127 (Article in Serial). SDV123157.

No 27. Opened by Kirwan in August 1867. The body of the mound was made up of black peat earth covered by a layer of white angular flints about a foot thick, which extended over the crown and south-west side, and a top covering of soil.

Fox, A., 1948, The Broad Down (Farway) Necropolis and the Wessex Culture in Devon, 17 (Article in Serial). SDV123165.

No.10. Ditched mound of dark soil; excavations begun but not finished by Kirwan.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1975, SY19NW22 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV123889.

Site visit on 3rd November 1975. A flat-topped bowl barrow 26 metres in diameter and 1.5 metres high with a ditch, having an outside diameter of 35 metres and a depth of 0.5 metres. Well preserved.
Site visit on 28th January 1982. As above.

Griffith, F. M., 1983, DAP/D, 7a-8a (Aerial Photograph). SDV120081.

Grinsell, L. V., 1983, The Barrows of South and East Devon, 36, No 9 (Article in Serial). SDV337013.

Site visit on 4th April 1970. Heath. Excavated. Diameter 25 metres and height 1.3 metres.

Simpson, S. J. + Noble, S., 1993, Archaeological Survey and Management Study of Areas on Gittisham Hill, Farway Hill, and Broad Down, East Devon, 15 (Report - Survey). SDV123162.

Site visit on 2nd November 1992. Stable. Bracken covered. Ditch not visible on south side.

English Heritage, 1996, An enclosure and two bowl barrows 180m east of Putts Corner, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Gittisham Hill (Schedule Document). SDV123163.

The monument is situated in south east Devon, 8 kilometres south of Honiton, on the high ground of an extensive Greensand plateau where it forms the watershed of the south-flowing River Sid. It includes an enclosure, two bowl barrows forming part of the Gittisham Hill round barrow cemetery, and the archaeologically sensitive area of ground between them. It is situated within an area of heathland on level ground on Gittisham Hill. The larger barrow consisting of a mound of evenly rounded profile, 24 metres in diameter and circa 1.8 metres in height, surrounded by a ditch 3 metres wide and 0.3 metres deep, lies 10 metres to the south-east of the enclosure. Antiquarian investigation in 1869 when a trench was cut into the centre of the mound from the south, revealed that the mound consisted of a layer of dark soil over a cairn of flints. The cairn was not investigated and the excavation trench was subsequently backfilled. The area of ground between the enclosure and the south-eastern barrow is archaeologically sensitive in that it will contain burials, evidence of related activity, and archaeological evidence for a chronological relationship between the enclosure and the barrow.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, 17, 18 and 24, Part 1; 126, Part 2: Gazetteer, Site No. 295 (Report - Survey). SDV101648.

Bowl barrow 24 metres in diameter by 1.3 metres high with ditch and outer bank. Ditch and bank less well defined on south side and is cut through by vehicle track on south and west sides which is also cutting into the mound. Small area of apparently recent excavation on west side of mound, small scoop 1.3 metres diameter by 0.45 metres maximum depth, creating a level area. Purpose uncertain, however, size and form suggest single person hide (similar to military foxholes) amongst the long grasses which cover the mound. Perhaps related to bird watching or pheasant shooting. This is one of two barrows and an enclosure which together form SAM 27407 (sites 291 and 292).

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, Site No. 295 (Archive - Survey). SDV358490.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, Site No. 295 (Report - Survey). SDV359019.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 2487 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Barrow.
Mound 24 metres diameter by 1 metre high.

English Heritage, 2011, Heritage at Risk Register 2011: South West, 91 (Report - non-specific). SDV355280.

Generally unsatisfactory with major localised problems. Declining. Principal vulnerability plant growth.

Riley, H., 2013, Metric Survey of a Possible Neolithic Enclosure on Gittisham Hill, Devon, 2 (Report - Survey). SDV352082.

The round barrows on and east of the Gittisham Hill enclosure were mapped by the Ordnance Survey in 1806. In 1869, Kirwan partially excavated the large round barrow which lies just to the east of the enclosure. The central part of the mound, a cairn of flints, was not disturbed and no artefacts or burials were found.

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

A circular earthwork mound is visible.

Sims, R., Knight, S. & Houghton, E., 2020-2021, East Devon AONB Lidar Assessment and Desk based Assessment (Interpretation). SDV363914.

The barrow is visible as a circular earthwork mound circa 26m across with surrounding ditch circa 4m wide on images derived from lidar data captured in 2016.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8340 - East Devon AONB Lidar Assessment and Desk based Assessment

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