Details

The monument includes a bowl barrow situated on a natural chalk hill, known as
Scabes Castle, which forms part of the Sussex Downs. The barrow, which lies on
the parish boundary between Fulking to the west and Poynings to the east, has
a north-south aligned, roughly oval mound measuring c.17m by c.10m and which
reaches a height of up to c.0.75m. Records suggest that the mound, which shows
signs of past part excavation, was originally circular, but has been levelled
by modern ploughing on its eastern side. The mound is surrounded by a ditch
from which material used to construct the barrow was excavated. This has
become infilled over the years but survives as a buried feature c.2m wide.
The modern fence which crosses the monument is excluded from the scheduling,
although the ground beneath it is included.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

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.

The bowl barrow on Scabes Castle survives comparatively well, despite some
disturbance by modern ploughing, and will contain archaeological remains and
environmental evidence relating to the construction and use of the monument.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
ref 2, RCHME, TQ 21 SE 5, (1934)

Source: Historic England