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Summary

Two bowl barrows survive as oval mounds, with outer ditch and are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of 1947 onwards, to the west of The Barton, North Tawton.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1017131: Two bowl barrows 200m north east of Newland Cross
• SHINE: Two Bronze Age bowl barrows north west of Newland Bridge

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS60SE/77
• Old SAM Ref: 32228

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

National Monuments Record, SS6500, 16-18, 21-22 (Aerial Photograph). SDV345306.

Royal Air Force, 13/04/1947, CPE/UK/1995, 1270 (Aerial Photograph). SDV217286.

The barrows show clearly as upstanding earthworks on Royal Air Force aerial photograph.

Cambridge University, 1975, CUC/BTR, 19 (Aerial Photograph). SDV274730.

Possibly part of a curvilinear enclosure, recorded from air in 1975. On reinspection, however, the faint outlines of two ring ditches corresponding to the positions of the barrows can be seen.

Griffith, F. M., 1990, DAP/QB, 1-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDV224847.

Miller, A., 1995, RCHME Aerial Photograph Primary Recording Project (Interpretation). SDV345305.

Timms, S., 1995, Untitled Source (Worksheet). SDV345303.

Farmer reports circular stone feature revealed during ploughing.

Griffith, F. M., 1995, Untitled Source (Personal Comment). SDV345304.

Site visit 12th September 1995. Two substantial mounds survive on low-lying ground to the west of the River Taw. Under crop. Height still approximately 0.8 metres, despite regular ploughing. Soil poorer, drier and stonier than in rest of field. Barrows diameter probably circa 30 metres (it could not be measured in ground conditions). Centred at SS65850059 and SS65860055. The tenant reports that over the years several large stones have been ploughed up from the southern barrow. Probing suggests they formed a circular setting within the barrow; several are still visible in situ (this is extremely unusual for a barrow in this part of mid Devon). These are clearly important barrows whose significant deposits still survive well.

Gent, T. H., 1996, Archaeological Assessment of a Proposed Golf Course at the Hams, North Tawton, 5, 10 (Report - Assessment). SDV319191.

Probable bronze age barrows. Heights circa 0.7 metres, diameterss circa 35-38 metres. Several sizeable stone said to have been ploughed out of south barrow. Probing located what appears to be a circular sub-surface setting. Although several stones reported as visible in 1991, none were seen in January 1996 but 4 pits, the largest 1 metre in diameter and 0.2 metres deep, found at top centre of the mound. These were set as if forming the south-westw side of a circa 10 metre diameter circle, and displayed recent silting. Magnetic susceptibility survey carried out by Oxford Archaeotechnics indicated that the south barrow contains a slightly off-centre circa 10 metre diameter circular feature, and a collection of pits in the northern arc of the ditch. The north barrow displays similar pits in its northern half. Further prehistoric activity, in the form of pits or scoops, including 2 relatively large sub-rectangular pit-forms of 4-5 metres by 2 metres lie to the west. The geophysics report suggests the possible existence of secondary burials, resulting in pit-forms that appear to intrude into the mounds.

Griffith, F. M., 1996, DAP/YY, 11 (Aerial Photograph). SDV345307.

Exeter Archaeology, 1999, Archaeological Assessment of a Proposed Development Site at Barton Hill, North Tawton, 3 (Report - Assessment). SDV274744.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 1999, Two Bowl Barrows 200m North East of Newland Cross (Schedule Document). SDV345301.

Two bowl barrows situated on the floodplain of the River Taw approximately 80 metres north of a long-established natural ford, spanned by a bridge. The barrows survive as two oval mounds with their long axes aligned east to west. The northern mound measures 40.2 metres long by 32.5 metres wide and is up to 0.9 metres high. The southern mound measures 38.5 metres long by 30.5 metres wide and is up to 1 metre high. The mounds are each surrounded by a buried quarry ditch from which material was taken for their construction; these are approximately 3 metres wide. A geophysical survey has revealed pits and circular features in both barrow mounds and in their ditches, and the presence of probable kerb stones has been encountered during ploughing. Map object based on this Source.

Cottrell, T. + Crisp, J., 2004, An Archaeological Field Evaluation of the Proposed North Tawton to Whiddon Down, Devon 33Kv Underground Cable Route (Report - Evaluation). SDV321383.

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

Transcriptions of banks and ditches correspond to the grid reference for PRN167058.

Young, A. & Turner, S., 2005-2006, North Devon/Winkleigh Biomass Plant National Mapping Programme (NMP) project database records, PRN167058 (Interpretation). SDV358473.

Two large almost circular features are visible on aerial photos (p1). They each comprise an external ditch enclosing a mound. Both are roughly 30m in diameter. They have been digitally plotted as part of the National Mapping Programme.
Photograph reference:
1. DCC DAP OC 02 (NMR SS6500/17- 6771) 12-JUL-1989

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

Map object based on this Source.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7455 - Winkleigh Biomass Plant National Mapping Programme

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