Long Barrow and Round Barrow at Thornwell Farm

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.

The monument comprises the remains of a long barrow and a round barrow which probably date to the Neolithic (c. 4000 BC - 2300 BC) and Bronze Age (c. 2300 BC - 800 BC) periods respectively. The monuments are located on a NW-facing slope set in recreational areas within a housing estate. The long barrow belongs to the Severn-Cotswold tradition of tomb building and the distinctive barrow mound survives as a rather ill-defined oval mound that measures 25m in length (NE-SW), 20m in width and 1.5m in height. Part-excavation revealed a dry stone revetment, one large and two small megalithic chambers, one with a porthole, together with articulated and disarticulated human bones, pottery and flint. The long barrow’s collective burial function is suggestive of ancestor-focused burial practices and the sorting of burial deposits is generally thought to have played an important role in the activities of the living, possibly concerning territorial claims. The round barrow is located 50m ENE of the long barrow and comprises a turf-covered, circular stony mound that measures 16m in diameter and 1.5m in height. Part-excavation revealed the presence of a stone kerb. Originally designated in 1992, it is proposed that the scheduled area is revised so that they correspond more accurately with the archaeological remains on the ground.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual practices. It is an important relic of a prehistoric funerary and ritual landscape and has been demonstrated by excavation to retain significant archaeological evidence, including the presence of intact burial deposits, together with environmental and structural evidence. Buried prehistoric land surfaces are also preserved. The importance of the monuments is further enhanced by their group value.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. Area A is centred on the long barrow, is an irregular oval in shape on plan and measures 35m NE-SW by 30m transversely. Area B is centred on the round barrow, is an irregular polygon in shape on plan and measures 25.5m E-W by 25m transversely.