Scheduled Monument: ROYSTONE GRANGE BOWL BARROW (1010104)

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. Unusually for the Peak District, this barrow at Roystone Grange has not been excavated and so retains significant intact archaeological deposits. DETAILS Roystone Grange bowl barrow is a roughly circular cairn in an unusual shelf location in the south-eastern uplands of the limestone plateau of Derbyshire. The monument includes a mound measuring 11.5m by 10.5m by c.0.5m high and with traces of a limestone cist. But for some slight disturbance on the north-west side the barrow is complete. Its form and the presence of the cist, in which human remains would have been placed, indicate a Bronze Age date for the monument. SELECTED SOURCES Book Reference - Author: Barnatt, J. - Title: The Peak District Barrow Survey - Type: DESC TEXT Book Reference - Author: Barnatt, J. - Title: The Peak District Barrow Survey - Type: PLAN: MEASURED