Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

Tumulus.
About 2.1m high, 30m diameter, 91m circumference.
On west side Burnham Westgate Park.
Uncertain date, might be landscape gardening feature.
Small mounds and banks around pond to southeast are derived from this depression (stream called Goose Beck).
Or bowl barrow, no visible ditch.
Not on (S1) or (S2).
Photo by [1] and by R. R. Clarke (NCM) 21 July 1933 and 31 August 1934.

(S3) records 'barrows near Burnham Beacons' copying (S4) which notes a 'small tumulus'.

Mound covered in trees 32m diameter.
2.2 m high.
Pillbox cut into north side.
No evidence of ditch.
A. Lawson (NAU) 13 March 1976.

11 August 1983.
Condition as above. No sign of ditch, but barrow has berm about 2m wide about 0.5m higher than field around it, presumably caused by ploughing.
J. J. Wymer (NAU)

3 February 1988.
No change.
J. J. Wymer (NAU)

Covered in grass and nettles to west, remainder under scrub.
A few mature trees, beech to north, 3 conifers to south and west, one split. Plough cutting in deeply to north.
H. Paterson (NAU) March 1991.

21 December 1994.
Site visit. Condition as earlier. Surrounding area down to grass.
H. Paterson (NLA) 3 January 1995.

1995.
Schedule gives as 3m high, 30m across.
E. Rose 20 November 1995.

See record form in file by source [1], who adds:
Very rare, possibly unique type PBX pillbox built into Tumulus.
Date 1940. Should be properly measured and photographed.
Survey No. C2-2. Scheduled, Monument No. 21378.
D. Walker (NLA) July 1996.

Visit to monitor Section 17 requirements.
Barrow covered in good grass, with a few nettles. Rabbit disturbance continues to east. Shooting of rabbits is to continue.
H. Paterson (A&E) 28 January 1998.

Thick grass cover, with a few nettle patches. Rabbit disturbance much improved, only one burrow seen. A thin spread of soil noted alongside hedge adjacent to road. This only some 2 inches in depth, apparently spoil from newly erected gate posts to the Hall.
H. Paterson (A&E) 7 July 1999.

Section 17 Management Agreement signed 16 March 1995 for 5 years.
See copy in office file.
H. Paterson (A&E) 14 September 1999.

Section 17 Management Agreement signed 17 March 2000.
H. Paterson (A&E) 6 April 2000.

June 2001.
Barrow masked in thick nettles and long grass cover, some elder regeneration. No evidence of animal disturbance, although thick vegetation makes this difficult to monitor. Owner has been asked to strim vegetation.
H. Paterson (A&E), 5 July 2001.

September 2002. Norfolk NMP.
An earthwork round barrow, potentially of Bronze Age date, is located on the west side of Burnham Westgate Park. It is possible that it is a post medieval landscape feature, such as a prospect mound. However the proximity of the mound to the cropmarks of a possible barrow cemetery (NHER 35950), also within the park, could further indicate that it is a Bronze Age round barrow. The NMP mapping suggests that the barrow may be slight oval in plan, measuring 30m. The PBX type pillbox, which has been cut into the mound during World War Two, is not clearly visible on the vertical aerial photographs due to tree foliage.
(S5)
S. Massey (NMP), 30 September 2002.

November 2002.
Letter from English Heritage 25 April 2002 stated that FMW had visited in February and noted elder 90m high. This has been cut, but is regenerating. Grasss cover good, bu much nettle groth. Some bramble to north. New gardener says mound will be strimmed/sprayed in the spring. Lower branches of small thorn on summit have been cut.
Pillbox now covered with ivy growth.
H. Paterson (A&E), 8 November 2002.

July 2003.
Thick grass cover over barrow, with some regeneration of bramble and other shrubs.
H. Paterson (A&E). 9 July 2003.

October 2004.
Good grass cover, nettles cut. Some regeneration of elder and bramble to south and west. Spoke to gardener. He will make sure undergrowth is cut back.
H. Paterson (A&E), 2 November 2004.

December 2010.
Section 17 agreement signed.
See (S6).
D. Robertson (HES), 10 January 2010.

Monument Types

• BANK (EARTHWORK) (Unknown date)
• MOUND (Unknown date)
• ROUND BARROW (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
• GARDEN FEATURE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• PILLBOX (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument
• Management Statement

Sources and further reading

Related records

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Burnham Market (Parish Summary)