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Summary

Prehistoric bowl barrow 'A', the most northerly of a small group of three barrows to the west of East Down Cross, part of a wider barrow cemetery on Berry Down. The barrow is depicted as a mound on Ordnance Survey maps from the the late 19th century onwards and is visible as an earthwork mound and soilmark on aerial photographs of 1947 onwards.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1019262: Three bowl barrows 470m south west of Berry Down Cross, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Berry Down

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 34135
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS54SE/6
• Old SAM County Ref: 340
• Old SAM Ref: 34251
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SS54SE2

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

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

One of three 'Tumuli' shown on 19th century map to the west of East Down Cross.

Doe, G. M., 1883, 5th Report of the Barrow Committee, 108-110 (Article in Serial). SDV88531.

Worth, R. H., 1902, 21st Report of the Barrow Committee, 120-128 (Article in Serial). SDV20971.

Ordnance Survey, 1905, 5SE (Cartographic). SDV335614.

Barrow to the west of Berry Down Cross.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF CPE/UK/1980, NMR RAF/CPE/UK/1980 3108-3109 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350276.

A probable bowl barrow is visible as a low earthwork mound.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1953 - 1978, SS54SE2 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV88567.

Three bowl barrows. Barrow 'A': at SS56804353 (No 8) has a diameter of 21 metres and is 1 metre high.

Ministry of Works, 1954, Four Barrows west of Berry Down Cross (Schedule Document). SDV345981.

Four barrows west of Berry Down Cross. A group of barrows spread over the summit of Berry Down now on enclosed arable land. Barrow (c) to the south of the road. Other details: Monument 340.

Grinsell, L. V., 1970, The Barrows of North Devon, 111 (Article in Serial). SDV7849.

Diameter 20 paces, No.8. This is probably the barrow opened in 1883. It consists of layers of clay streaked with charcoal. Near the surface was a ribboned handled 'Cornish' urn of red ware inverted over burnt human bones, and a flint chip. The urn now in the Exeter Museum.

Ordnance Survey, 1989, OS/89114, NMR OS/89114 687-688 04-MAY-1989 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350315.

The site of a probable bowl barrow is visible as a pale soilmark.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2000, Three Bowl Barrows 470 metres south-west of Berry Down Cross, forming part of a Round Barrow Cemetery on Berry Down (Schedule Document). SDV345986.

This monument, which falls into three separate areas of protection includes three bowl barrows situated on a prominent upland ridge known as Berry Down, overlooking the valley of a tributary to the River Yeo. These three barrows form part of a round barrow cemetery, of which seven barrows survive in all. The other barrows in the area which form part of the round barrow cemetery are the subject of separate schedulings.The northernmost barrow (01) survives as a circular mound 22.2 metres in diameter and is 0.7 metres high. It is surrounded by a quarry ditch from which material to construct the mound was derived, which measures approximately 3 metres wide and is preserved as a buried feature. Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (circa 2000-700 BC). Other details: Monument 34251.

Next Perspectives, 2001, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref:, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: SS5643 22-MAY-2001 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349376.

The site of a probable bowl barrow is visible as a faint pale soilmark.

Exeter Archaeology, 2002, Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Development at Stowford Farm Meadows, Berry Down, 5, 16 (Report - Assessment). SDV60793.

Other details: Figure 5, Site 2.

National Monuments Record, 2010, 34135 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV345987.

A group of three Bronze Age barrows, two of which were probably excavated in 1883 and Bronze Age cremation burials found. The northernmost barrow 'A' measures 22.2 metres by 0.7 metres high.

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

The northern of three 'Tumuli' shown on modern mapping.

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

A barrow of probable Bronze Age is visible on aerial photographs of 1947 onwards as a roughly circular earthwork and soilmark on Berry Down. The visible soilmark, probably that of a bowl barrow, measures circa 19 metres in diameter. It remains visible as a faint soilmark on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in May 2001.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV20971	Article in Serial: Worth, R. H.. 1902. 21st Report of the Barrow Committee. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 34. A5 Paperback + Digital. 120-128.
SDV335614	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1905. 5SE. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 6 inch Map. Map (Paper).
SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV344030	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2010. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey. Map (Digital). [Mapped feature: #83153 ]
SDV345981	Schedule Document: Ministry of Works. 1954. Four Barrows west of Berry Down Cross. The Schedule of Monuments. Foolscap.
SDV345986	Schedule Document: Department for Culture, Media and Sport. 2000. Three Bowl Barrows 470 metres south-west of Berry Down Cross, forming part of a Round Barrow Cemetery on Berry Down. The Schedule of Monuments. A4 Stapled.
SDV345987	National Monuments Record Database: National Monuments Record. 2010. 34135. National Monuments Record Database. Website.
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
SDV349376	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2001. Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref:. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: SS5643 22-MAY-2001.
SDV350276	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF CPE/UK/1980. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/CPE/UK/1980 3108-3109 11-APR-1947.
SDV350315	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1989. OS/89114. Ordnance Survey Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR OS/89114 687-688 04-MAY-1989.
SDV60793	Report - Assessment: Exeter Archaeology. 2002. Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Development at Stowford Farm Meadows, Berry Down. Exeter Archaeology Report. 02.06. A4 Stapled + Digital. 5, 16.
SDV7849	Article in Serial: Grinsell, L. V.. 1970. The Barrows of North Devon. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 28. A5 Paperback. 111.
SDV88531	Article in Serial: Doe, G. M.. 1883. 5th Report of the Barrow Committee. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 15. Photocopy + Digital. 108-110.
SDV88567	Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. 1953 - 1978. SS54SE2. Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card. Card Index.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV99 - BONE NON SPECIFIC (Unknown date)
• FDV98 - URN (Unknown date)

Associated Events

• EDV1452 - Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Development at Stowford Farm Meadows, Berry Down
• EDV6132 - North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty NMP Project

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