NHER 3527 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Bronze Age barrow

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Summary

This Bronze Age barrow was excavated in 1843 by F.R. Lukis. He excavated part of the mound and found Bronze Age pottery, cremated bone and fragments of charcoal. The mound is surrounded by a ditch which has now become infilled. The barrow is part of a cluster of Bronze Age barrows on Harpley Common.

Protected Status/Designation

Scheduled Monument 1010574: Bowl barrow 900m north east of Crow Hall: one of a group of round barrows on Harpley Common

Location

Map sheet	TF72NE
Civil Parish	HARPLEY, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

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Full Description

Bell Barrow 900m northeast of Crow Hall, Harpley Common.

Barrow on common.
A well defined tumulus about 3m (10 feet) high and 91m (100 yards) circumference. 23m (25 yards) to west of Anmer to Rudham road. Covered with bracken. Ditch hardly noticeable but exists. Flakes. This tumulus is opposite Bunkers Hill, finest in county. Local tradition asserts that treasure is buried in this tumulus and moreover it is said that rabbits will not burrow in it, or if they do they soon come out. Strangely enough there are very few rabbit burrows. Excavated 1843 by Lukis. Explanation of Harpley Barrow referred to in D. Gurney's letter of 3rd June 1843.
See (S1).
A.Q. Watson 12 October 1935 and R.R. Clarke (NCM).

This is apparently the barrow referred to in the Lukis notes as having charcoal at 90cm (3 foot) depth, then burnt bones and wood, another layer of these at 1.8m (6 feet), and natural at 3m (10 feet). Portions of 'jars' were found at 46cm (18 inches) depth.
See (S1).

27m diameter, 3m high, covered in elders. No sign of ditch.
A.J. Lawson (NAU), 7 February 1974.

18 May 1983.
Now only 25.50m diameter, heavily damaged by plough south and southwest sides severe rabbit infestation; apparent damage. See [1].
D.A. Edwards (NAU).

August 1983.
Ploughed to base of mound.

November 1983.
Damaged by ploughing. See [2].

January 1986.
Ploughing exposed gravel base of mound.

1987.
Harrowed very close to mound but not sown within 1m.

1989.
Damaged by ploughing.
J.J. Wymer (NAU).

4 March 1991. Visit.
Covered in rough grass, bracken and some brambles. Perimeter marker posts erected for protection, some knocked over, allowing plough encroachment, especially to east.
H. Paterson (A&E), 4 March 1991.

1993. Found in bare soil on surface of barrow.
Rim sherds Beaker with string impressed decoration including horizontal line on inside of rim.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 19 January 1994.

Associated Sources (19)

--- SNF11621 Aerial Photograph: TF7527 A-C; TF7528 A-C,F,Q,U-AA,AJ-AM,AU; TF7627 E,ABK; TF7628 A,B,E.
--- SNF60931 Article in Monograph: Lawson, A. 1976. The Excavation of a Round Barrow at Harpley. Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 2 pp 45-64. p 47.
--- SNF1540 Article in Serial: Clarke, W. G. 1913. Norfolk Barrows. The Antiquary. Vol XLIX pp 416-423. p 420.
--- SNF80460 Article in Serial: Robertson, D. & Paterson, H.. 2010. The Norfolk Monuments Management Project 1990-2010. Twenty Years Conserving the County's Rural Historic Environment.. Norfolk Archaeology. XLVI, pp 15-28.
--- SNF99120 Designation: English Heritage. 1990-2013. English Heritage Scheduling Notification. Notification. DNF121.
--- SNF99123 Designation: English Heritage. 1994? -2011?. English Heritage Digital Designation Record. Record. DNF121.
--- SNF6712 Monograph: Lawson, A. J., Martin, E., Priddy, D. and Taylor, A. 1981. The Barrows of East Anglia. East Anglian Archaeology. No 12.
--- SNF9441 Photograph: Edwards, D.A.. 1989. CXT 8 to 9, CXX 6 to 7, EQF 11 to 12, EQG 13 to 14. Harpley Barrows.
--- SNF87258 Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Bronze Age. Harpley.
--- SNF57722 Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
--- SNF57204 Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 72 NE 16 [3].
--- SNF8804 Secondary File: Secondary File.
--- SNF8807 Slide: Various. Slide.
--- SNF60932 Unpublished Document: Edwards, D.A.. 1989. Statement on the Aerial Photography of Plough Damage to Four Prehistoric Burial Mounds (Scheduled Ancient Monuments) at Harpley, Norfolk. 22 February.
--- SNF99861 Unpublished Document: Edwrds, D.. 1983. Condition report on barrows at Harpley and Anmer Minque.
--- SNF58202 Unpublished Document: Paterson, H. (A&E). Norfolk Ancient Monuments Management Project Site Form.
--- SNF60933 Unpublished Document: Wymer, J.. 1989. A statement on the discovery of recent plough-damage to four prehistoric burial mounds scheduled as Ancient Monuments. 21 February.
--- SNF100243 Unpublished Report: Wymer, J. 1988. A Further Report on the Condition of Barrows in the County and the Question of their Preservation.
<S1> SNF60935 Unpublished Document: Lukis, F.C.. Extract from one of the Lukis M.S. Note Books in Guernsey Museum..

Site and Feature Types and Periods (2)

Object Types (3)

FLAKE (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD)
ANIMAL REMAINS (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
POT (Beaker - 2300 BC to 1700 BC)

Related NHER Records (0)

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Record last edited

Jan 14 2025 10:56AM