Scheduled Monument: BOWL BARROW ON CALTON PASTURES, 625M WSW OF CALTON HOUSES (1007996)

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most examples belonging to the period 2400-1500 BC. They were constructed as earthen or rubble mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered single or multiple burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as cemeteries and often acted as a focus for burials in later periods. Often superficially similar, although differing widely in size, they exhibit regional variations in form and a diversity of burial practices. There are over 10,000 surviving bowl barrows recorded nationally (many more have already been destroyed), occurring across most of lowland Britain. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable variation of form and longevity as a monument type provide important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisations amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection. All the barrows on Calton Pastures have been disturbed by excavation and ploughing, but all are nevertheless reasonably well preserved and retain substantial areas of intact archaeological deposits. DETAILS The monument is one of a dispersed alignment of five bowl barrows situated on Calton Pastures in the eastern gritstone moorlands of Derbyshire. It includes an oval mound measuring 20m by 14m. Originally the mound would have been more uniformly circular, but, on the north-west and south-east sides, it has been degraded by ridge and furrow ploughing. The remains of this can be seen around the barrow but are not included in the scheduling. Originally the barrow was some 2m high. However, at some point in the 18th or 19th century, an excavation trench was taken across the summit from south-west to north-east, leaving a scar c.0.6m deep. Possibly this excavation was carried out by Major Rooke who is known to have opened one of the barrows on Calton Pastures in 1779 or 1787 and found the remains of a cremation and pottery food vessel. The overall appearance of the barrow, and its proximity to others of the period, date it to the Bronze Age. SELECTED SOURCES Book Reference - Author: Barnatt, J - Title: The Peak District Barrow Survey (1989) - Date: 1989 Book Reference - Author: Barnatt, J - Title: The Peak District Barrow Survey (1989) - Date: 1989 Book Reference - Author: Bateman, T. - Title: Vestiges of the Antiquities of Derbyshire - Date: 1848 - Page References: 22 - Type: DESC TEXT Book Reference - Author: Bateman, Thomas - Title: Ten Years Diggings in Celtic and Saxon Grave-Hills - Date: 1861 - Page References: 64-5 - Type: DESC TEXT Book Reference - Author: Marsden B - Title: The Burial Mounds of Derbyshire (1977) - Date: 1977 - Page References: 32-33 - Type: DESC TEXT