MSO7451 - Bronze Age barrow at Beech Tree (Monument)

A probable Bronze Age barrow in a field called "Burrow Close", on a saddle between two valleys. It measures 15.2m in diameter and 0.5m high and has been cut by a road. The present hedgebank clearly rides over the mound.

A semi-circular mound 0.6 m. high at SS 9696 3839 in a field called 'Burrow Close' [1] may be a spread bowl barrow. The southern half of the mound has been cut by a road. Surveyed at 1/2500. [2] (SS 9696 3839) Mound (NR). [3] SS 9696 3839. Luxborough 5. Listed as [2]. Low lying but possibly a barrow. [4] SS 9696 3840. Probable remains of barrow. The road running past it is an old east to west ridgeway. [5] Centred at SS 9696 3839 is a probable barrow. It lies within a field to the north of the junction known as Beech Tree on the road from Couple Cross to Luxborough. The probable barrow takes the form of a slight swelling at the southern edge of an improved pasture field. It measures 15.2 metres across by 0.5 metres high. The hedgebank clearly rides over the mound. The feature is likely to be a prehistoric barrow and occupies a typical saddle position between two valleys. [6] An earthern mound which has been identified as a probable round barrow. It is visible as a slight swelling, 15.2 metres across and 0.5 metres high which is located at the southern edge of a field with the wide field bank rising to cross the mound. Recorded by LV Grinsell in 'Somerset Barrow' as 'low lying but a possible barrow' [4]. The mound lies undisturbed in improved pasture and is in good condition. The probable barrow scored low in the county evaluation in all categories except Documentation (Archaeological) where it scored medium. The county evaluation score was re-evaluated at the time of the MPP site visit. Its survival score was increased to medium and its medium score for documentation (Archaeological) was reduced to low, which still reflected an overall low score of 10. As it was assigned a score on the basis of a round barrow, with no account being taken of it not having been positively identified as such, this would appear to accurately reflect its low national importance. Because the barrow has not been positively identified as such and given its low score, it is considered that no scheduling recommendation can be produced on that basis. It is recommended that the National Monument Record details (produced as a result of the Exmoor Survey), together with a record of the MPP site visit be passed to the Exmoor National Park Authority. [7] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [8] The feature is marked "Mound" on the 2022 MasterMap data. [9]