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Summary

The most westerly of a group of four Prehistoric bowl barrows situated on the summit of a high ridge to the south-west of Patchacott. The western barrow is about 30.7 metres diameter and up to 1.1 metres high.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020985: Four bowl barrows 340m north west of Mount Pleasant Farm
• SHINE: Earthworks of four prehistoric barrows north west of Mount Pleasant Farm
• Scheduled Monument 1020985: Four bowl barrows 340m north west of Mount Pleasant Farm
• Scheduled Monument 1020985: Four bowl barrows 340m north west of Mount Pleasant Farm

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 438165
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX49NE/14
• Old SAM County Ref: 378(2)
• Old SAM Ref: 32194
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX49NE3
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BOWL BARROW (Early Bronze Age to Early Iron Age - 2200 BC to 700 BC (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

The most westerly of 'Three Barrows (Tumuli)' shown as a small circular feature on 19th century map.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1951, SX49NE3 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV261403.

The three Brimsworthy (Beaworthy) Barrows are low mounds, in rough pasture land with furze bushes, and have been partly levelled. TDA, Martin, J. M. 1983.

Barrow B: A large barrow, probably of bowl type, which has suffered greatly from ploughing and is now much spread. There os no trace of a surrounding ditch. It is slightly hollow in the centre. Diameter 28 metres by 0.75 metres high. Site visit, 19/03/1951.

Other details: Map.

Ministry of Works, 1959, Three Barrows (Schedule Document). SDV345655.

Three large mounds spread by former ploughing but apparently intact. Barrow 2: is 90 feet in diameter by 2 feet 6 inches high. Other details: Barrow 2.

Grinsell, L. V., 1970, The Barrows of North Devon, 110 (Article in Serial). SDV7849.

Arable. Diameter 26 paces, height 2.5 feet.

Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology, 1979 - 1981, North Devon Barrow Survey, DCRA ND86 (Archive - Survey). SDV341310.

Site visit 29th November 1979. Substantial barrow in good condition. Markedly flat top with a slightly hollow centre. Recently ploughed. 26.3 metres diameter by 0.94 metres high. No visible ditch.

Timms, S. C., 1981, Untitled Source (Personal Comment). SDV261407.

Barrow under grass.

Bayer, O. J., 1996, Barrows in the Torridge District of North West Devon: A Study in Distribution and Location, Beaworthy 4 (Undergraduate Dissertation). SDV319515.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 1999, Four Bowl Barrows 340 metres north-west of Mount Pleasant (Schedule Document). SDV345656.

Four bowl barrows 340 metres north-west of Mount Pleasant. This monument includes four bowl barrows situated on the summit of a high ridge to the south-west of Patchacott. This location overlooks the valleys of tributaries to both the Rivers Wolf and Lew. It commands a high vantage point with extensive views to both Dartmoor and Exmoor. The western of the two central barrows measures 30.7 metres in diameter and 1.1 metre high. Each barrow is surrounded by a quarry ditch from which material to construct the mound was derived. These survive mainly as buried features, though one ditch is visible as a 0.2 metre deep and 3.2 metre wide hollow to the south of the eastern of the two central barrows. The field boundary crossing one of the barrows is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath is included. Despite ploughing, the four bowl barrows survive well on a prominent ridge top location. Archaeological and environmental information relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed survives in and under these mounds.

Weddell, P. J., 2002, A Proposed New Woodland for Northcombe Farm: Environmental statement report & Appendices, 7,14 (Report - non-specific). SDV231814.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2003, Four Bowl Barrows 340 metres north-west of Mount Pleasant Farm (Schedule Document). SDV345659.

National Grid Reference amended.

Young, A., 2005, Transcriptions from Winkleigh Biomass Plant National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Cartographic). SDV321540.

Transcriptions of a circular bank correspond to the grid reference for PRN167273. Map object partly based on this source.

Young, A. & Turner, S., 2005-2006, North Devon/Winkleigh Biomass Plant National Mapping Programme (NMP) project database records, 167273 (Interpretation). SDV358473.

A barrow is visible on aerial photographs (p1) as a low earthwork mound with a diameter of roughly 24m. It has been digitally plotted as part of the National Mapping Programme.
Photograph reference:
1. RAF 3G/TUD/UK 138 PART 2 5135-9 11-APR-1946

National Monuments Record, 2010, 438165 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV345657.

Bronze Age bowl barrows also known as the Brimsworthy Barrows. Four are now known. They measure: 26 metres across and 1.25 metres high, 28 metres across and 0.75 metres high, 25 metres across and 1 metre high, and 24 metres across and 0.4 metres high. All are under the plough.

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

The most westerly of 'Three Barrows' shown on modern mapping. Map object partly based on this Source.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4415 - Devon Barrow Survey
• EDV7455 - Winkleigh Biomass Plant National Mapping Programme

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