Monument record MDR219 - Bull Ring bowl barrow, Dove Holes, Chapel-en-le-Frith
Type and Period (3)
- BOWL BARROW (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
- SLIT TRENCH (Second World War - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- OVAL BARROW (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
Protected Status/Designation
Full Description
SK 0780 7817: Dove Holes, Barrow: To the south-west of the Bull Ring [see SMR 3505] and about 240 ft from its centre is a tumulus a little over 60 ft square, of uncertain age and purpose. (1)
A wall was recently moved from the north side of the monument, revealing something of its fabric. Its flattened sloping top, squarish appearance and the fabric of the mound suggest it might be spoil from the adjacent quarry workings. (3)
Rescue excavations in the adjacent area, in 1984 to 1985 showed rubble from the demolished wall remained. At the same time the monument was surveyed in detail to facilitate the monitoring of subsequent changes to the site. (5)
The mound is currently sub-rectangular in plan but has had its edges severely truncated by ploughing. Dimensions are difficult to measure but are approximately 28.5m x 24.0m. The height is 1.1m to the east and 2.0m downslope to the west. The northern edge is truncated by a wall, the east portion of which was removed in the late 1970s. The original shape and size are unknown but its context and large size tempts comparisons with Gib Hill/Arbor Low. If correct, it may have been a long barrow with a round barrow superimposed. The present mound profile (east/west) suggests a small round mound to the west (or upcast from a pit) with a lower tail to the east. It is documented that a slit trench was cut on the mound top in the 1939 to 1945 war. Two slight disturbances are visible today. That to the east may be the slit trench; the other looks more like a small excavation (undocumented) that entered the mound from the northwest. (6)
The monument is situated on the north-western edge of the limestone plateau of Derbyshire and includes, within a single area, Bull Ring henge and the adjacent oval barrow. Also included is the bowl barrow superimposed on the western end of the oval barrow. On the south-west side of the henge, c.20m distant, is a large mound interpreted as an oval barrow overlain on its western end by a later bowl barrow. It is sub-rectangular in shape and measures 27m by 21m by c.2.5m high. Originally it would have been somewhat higher but has been disturbed on the summit by a World War II slit trench. Its current plan is due to modern disturbance round its edges, caused by ploughing and the construction and later removal of drystone walls on its east and north sides. No recorded excavation of the barrow has been carried out so it cannot be precisely dated. However, its position and form are analogous with those of Gib Hill: the superimposed oval barrow and bowl barrow at nearby Arbor Low henge. (7).
Sources/Archives (7)
- <1> SDR13082 Bibliographic reference: Pilkington, J. 1789. A View of the Present State of Derbyshire, Volume 2. p462.
- <2> SDR8643 Bibliographic reference: Marsden, B. 1977. The Burial Mounds of Derbyshire. p 27.
- <3> SDR16138 Personal Observation: Smith, K. 1983. Pers. Comm..
- <4> SDR14424 Index: NDAT. 0612.
- <5> SDR2744 Bibliographic reference: Barnatt, J & Myers, A. 1988. 'Excavations at the Bull Ring henge, Dove Holes, Derbyshire, 1984-5', Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. Vol. 108, pp 5-50, illust..
- <6> SDR2466 Unpublished document: Barnatt, J. 1989. The Peak District Barrow Survey (updated 1994). Site 1:7.
- <7> SDR738 Scheduling record: English Heritage. 1993. Scheduling Notification: Bull Ring henge, oval barrow and bowl barrow. 23282.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | SK 07805 78186 (point) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | CHAPEL EN LE FRITH, HIGH PEAK, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
- EDR1809
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Jul 23 2013 4:42PM