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Summary

Bowl Barrow of probable Bronze Age date 540 metres south west of Higher Welsford. The barrow is visible as a substantial circular earthwork mound, with central depression, on aerial photographs from 1946 onwards. It is sited on an east to west aligned linear ridge, increasing its landscape impact. In 2012 it was under improved grass.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1017139: Ring cairn and bowl barrow 540m south west of Higher Welsford
• SHINE: Prehistoric barrow and ring cairn on Welsford Moor, part of barrow cemetery

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS22SE/13
• Old SAM County Ref: 304(1)
• Old SAM Ref: 32237
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SS22SE4

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, SS22SE4 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV340150.

Visited 6/12/1978. A probable platform barrow in a pasture field. It has fairly steep sides and a flat top 20 metres across. Overall it measures 30 metres in diameter, 1.2 metres high. There is no ditch and an excavation hollow shown on the 1953 25 inch Ordnance Survey map has now been infilled.

Meade, H. M., 02/10/1979, No Title (Correspondence). SDV357049.

Letter informing that the barrow has been recently ploughed.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/158, DCC RAF/3G/TUD/UK/158 5121-5122 19-APR-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349143.

The barrow is visible as a circular earthwork mound with central depression, sited on an east to west aligned linear ridge.

Department of Environment, 1953, Barrow and Ring on Welsford Moor (Schedule Document). SDV340149.

No ditch - a hole in the centre. Condition fairly good. Diameter 4 feet 6 inches, height 5 feet. (Welsford Moor is likely to be afforested as the plantations east of the Bude-Clovelly main road are doing well).

Grinsell, L. V., 1970, The Barrows of North Devon, 120 (Article in Serial). SDV7849.

Visited 5/4/1969. Rough pasture. Diam 36 paces, height 5.5 feet.

Silvester, R. J., 1977, Barrow (Worksheet). SDV16206.

Visited 11/12/1977. Area ploughed in 1977 to improve grass. Barrow may not have been disturbed.

Ordnance Survey, 1978, OS/78038, NMR OS/78038 243-244 10-MAY-1978 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349082.

The barrow is visible as a substantial earthwork mound with a central depression. Its edges are irregular, having recently been clipped by the plough into a roghly sub-square shape.

Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology, 1979 - 1981, North Devon Barrow Survey, DCRA ND38 (Archive - Survey). SDV341310.

Site visit 8th November 1979. 29.0 metres diameter, 1.4 metres high. Flattened by ploughing, especially in the last few years. Slight hollow in centre. Spread at edges especially to south-east, down slope. In reclaimed moor/rough pasture. No visible ditch. Fair condition.

Allden, A., 1981, A Study of some Devon Barrows and their Diminishing Future, ND38 (Report - non-specific). SDV339662.

Visited 8/11/1979. Diameter 29m, height 1.40m. Flattened by ploughing especially in last few years. Slight hollow in centre, flat-topped but probably due to ploughing. Spread at edges especially to south east down the slope. In reclaimed moor/rough pasture. No visible ditch. Fair condition.

Weston, S., 1982, List of Field Monument Warden Visits (Un-published). SDV345675.

Department of Environment Field Monument Warden site visit July/August 1982.

Horner, W., 1996, Barrow (Personal Comment). SDV340121.

Visited 5/9/1996. Viewed from adjacent site, SS22SE/14. Appears in good condition in harvested grass crop.

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

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 1999, Ring Cairn and Bowl Barrow 540m south west of Higher Welsford (Schedule Document). SDV340151.

Ring cairn and bowl barrow 540m south west of Higher Welsford. Barrow survives as circular mound, diam 29.4m, height 1.4m. Quarry ditch survives as buried feature, approx 3m wide.

Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography, 2001, CUCAP ZknLQ, CUCAP ZknLQ 0074-0075 22-JUN-2001 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349638.

The edges of the mound are visible as bare earth in a cultivated field.

Collings, A. G. + Manning, P. T. + Valentin, J., 2007, The North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Phase 1. Archaeological Survey. Summary Report, No. 561 (Report - Assessment). SDV339712.

Ring cairn and bowl barrow 540 metres south-west of Higher Welsford. Barrow survives (in 1999) as circular mound, diameter 29.4 metres, height 1.4 metres. Quarry ditch survives as buried feature, approximately 3 metres wide.

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

The barrow is visible as a substantial circular earthwork mound, with central depression, on aerial photographs from 1946 onwards. It was closely clipped by the plough in 1978 and this will probably have resulted in the loss of some of the lower parts of the bank. Continued cultivation is attested in later aerial photographs and bare earth around the base of the mound in 2001, when it has apparently been ploughed, indicates ongoing damage from agricultural activity. It is sited on a linear ridge that is aligned east to west, and this positioning may have been deliberate to increase the visual impact of the monument in the landscape. It was found to be under a management regime of improved grassland on a site visit in 2012.

Hegarty, C. & Knight, S., 2012-2013, North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project site visit (Site Visit). SDV349357.

The barrow is under improved grassland management, and its location on the ridgeline gives it an imposing aspect when viewed from the south.

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

Sources / Further Reading

SDV16206	Worksheet: Silvester, R. J.. 1977. Barrow. Worksheet + Digital.
SDV319515	Undergraduate Dissertation: Bayer, O. J.. 1996. Barrows in the Torridge District of North West Devon: A Study in Distribution and Location. University of Leicester Dissertation. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV339662	Report - non-specific: Allden, A.. 1981. A Study of some Devon Barrows and their Diminishing Future. Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology Publication. 10. A4 Stapled + Digital. ND38.
SDV339712	Report - Assessment: Collings, A. G. + Manning, P. T. + Valentin, J.. 2007. The North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Phase 1. Archaeological Survey. Summary Report. Exeter Archaeology Report. 06.22 (rev.1). A4 Stapled + Digital. No. 561.
SDV340121	Personal Comment: Horner, W.. 1996. Barrow. Not Applicable.
SDV340149	Schedule Document: Department of Environment. 1953. Barrow and Ring on Welsford Moor. The Schedule of Monuments. Foolscap.
SDV340150	Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. SS22SE4. Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card. Card Index.
SDV340151	Schedule Document: Department for Culture, Media and Sport. 1999. Ring Cairn and Bowl Barrow 540m south west of Higher Welsford. The Schedule of Monuments. A4 Stapled.
SDV341310	Archive - Survey: Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology. 1979 - 1981. North Devon Barrow Survey. Devon Barrow Survey. Digital + Mixed Archive Material. DCRA ND38.
SDV345675	Un-published: Weston, S.. 1982. List of Field Monument Warden Visits. Lists of Field Monument Warden Visits. Printout.
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
SDV349082	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1978. OS/78038. Ordnance Survey Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR OS/78038 243-244 10-MAY-1978.
SDV349143	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/3G/TUD/UK/158. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). DCC RAF/3G/TUD/UK/158 5121-5122 19-APR-1946.
SDV349357	Site Visit: Hegarty, C. & Knight, S.. 2012-2013. North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project site visit. ND AONB NMP. Digital.
	Linked images:24
SDV349638	Aerial Photograph: Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography. 2001. CUCAP ZknLQ. Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography. Photograph (Paper). CUCAP ZknLQ 0074-0075 22-JUN-2001.
SDV355681	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2014. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital. [Mapped feature: #66517 ]
SDV357049	Correspondence: Meade, H. M.. 02/10/1979. No Title. Letter to Mr. Grieves. Letter + Digital.
SDV7849	Article in Serial: Grinsell, L. V.. 1970. The Barrows of North Devon. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 28. A5 Paperback. 120.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6132 - North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty NMP Project
• EDV4415 - Devon Barrow Survey

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