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Summary

One of two bowl barrows, part of the Gittisham Hill barrow cemetery, on the north side of the main road to the east of Putts Corner. Visible as a circular earthwork mound with ditch on images derived from lidar data captured in 2016.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1014251: Two bowl barrows, 220m ESE of Putts Corner, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Gittisham Hill

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY19NW/5
• Old SAM County Ref: 131A
• Old SAM Ref: 27406

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Griffith, F. M., 01/12/1980, Barrow (Personal Comment). SDV357184.

Site visit 1st December 1980. Condition stable. Some quite large trees on it.

Wardle, C. J., 04/09/1991, Barrow, Gittisham (Worksheet). SDV123285.

Site visit on 4th September 1991. Covered in heather with birch and beech saplings. Damage has occurred where large trees have fallen. Well defined 2-3 metres wide berm except on south side, where truncated by road.

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

Worth, R. N., 1880, 2nd Report of the Barrow Committee, 126 (Article in Serial). SDV123157.

No.24. Undisturbed, with possible ditch on the east.

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

Large ditched mound of gravelly soil, planted with trees; ditch holding water; some home guard slit trenches have been dug in it and not filled up. Condition good. No.11.

Griffith, F. M., 1973, Barrow, 459/1-2 (Ground Photograph). SDV123281.

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

Site visit 3rd November 1975. Barrow B. A fine furze covered bowl barrow, 32 metres diameter, on the parish boundary. Landscaping probably accounts for a berm 2 metres wide cut to a vertical face 1 metre deep around the mound upon which old beech trees grow. There is a ditch 4 metres wide outside the berm with a pond on its east side.The capping of the mound by clay with small flints is revealed by a trench 6 metres long and I metre deep through its east side.
Site visit 28th January 1982. Measures 3.1 metres high from the 0.5 metre deep ditch.

Robinson, R., 1982, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1982 (Un-published). SDV345608.

Site visit on 28th April 1982.

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

Grinsell, L. V., 1983, The Barrows of South and East Devon, 35; No 10 (Article in Serial). SDV337013.

Site visit on 4th April 1970. Heath. Touches Sidmouth boundary. Diameter 32 metres and height 2.1 metres. Enclosed by tree clump circle giving false appearance of berm and ditch.

Robinson, R., 1986, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1986 (Un-published). SDV345664.

Site visit on 6th March 1986.

Simpson, S. J. + Noble, S., 1993, Archaeological Survey and Management Study of Areas on Gittisham Hill, Farway Hill, and Broad Down, East Devon, 16 (Report - Survey). SDV123162.

Site visit on 2nd November 1992. Under threat. Covered in heather and scrub, but accessible. Some young and mature trees, especially in ditch. Some dumping has occurred from adjacent lay-by to east, which is gradually encroaching onto heath.

English Heritage, 1996, Two bowl barrows, 220m ESE of Putts Corner, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Gittisham Hill (Schedule Document). SDV123277.

The Gittisham Hill barrow cemetery 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. The monument includes two bowl barrows and the archaeologically sensitive area of ground between them situated on the crest of Gittisham Hill. The B3174 runs between the barrows at which point the alignment of the road alters slightly. The northernmost barrow has steep sides and a flat top. It is 32 metres in diameter and circa 2.6 metres high, composed of peaty soil containing small flinty stones. The barrow mound is surrounded by a ditch 4 metres wide, increasing to 6 metres on the east side, and up to 0.5 metres deep, which is seasonally waterlogged. The construction of the road has removed a segment 3 metres wide radially of the southern edge of the mound, and has infilled the ditch to form a level causeway. On the eastern slope of the mound there is a trench 15 metres in length and about 0.6 metres deep, with sloping sides 2 metres wide at the top, that arcs concentric to the mound, and has upcast soil on its outer side. This feature is understood to be a World War II Home Guard entrenchment. A small boundary stone is embedded in the south-east sector of the mound. The area of ground between the two barrows is archaeologically sensitive in that it will contain burials, evidence of related activity, or archaeological evidence for the chronological relationship between them. Excluded from the monument are the made up surfaces of the road and lay-by and all fence posts, but the ground beneath them is included.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, Site No. 288 (Archive - Survey). SDV358490.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, Site No. 288 (Report - Survey). SDV359019.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, 17, Part 1; 124, Part 2: Gazetteer, Site No. 288 (Report - Survey). SDV101648.

Large barrow (as described by SMR 1995) 32 metres diameter by 2.6 metres high surrounded by ditch 4 metres wide increasing to 6 metres wide on east side. Construction of adjacent road has truncated 3 metres of mound on S side and infilled this area of ditch. Trench cut into east slope of mound 15 metres long by 0.6 metre deep, understood to be a World War Two Home Guard entrenchment. There is a parish boundary stone embedded in the south side of the mound (see site 289).

At time of field survey trees growing on mound and within ditch. Approximately 8 metres to north of mound is ditch and bank possibly representing a trackway which conntinues to the west. Bank is most pronounced immediately to north of mound where it is circa 5 metres wide by 0.3 metres high with a ditch to north circa 3 metres wide by 0.4 metres deep.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 2485 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Mound 32 metres diameter by 2.6 metres high. Scheduled Monument.

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

Generally satisfactory but with significant localised problems. Declining. Principal culverability scrub/tree growth.

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

Barrow shown.

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 35m across with a circa 4.5m ditch visible on its northwestern side.

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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