Bronze Age or Roman bowl barrow at Sturmer (EHER 1590)

A Bronze Age or Roman bowl barrow was recorded as being in fairly good condition during field investigation in 1950. Two thick fragments of possible Roman brick were found by the barrow, although no other finds were recovered in the vicinity.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 1590 and 13862. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Bowl barrow, 0.25 miles north-north-west of the church, 120ft in diameter at the base, 8ft high. Fairly good condition. Unclassified. Not been excavated. <1> <2> Shown on copy of OS map in SMR. <3> According to local legend the site is a burial mound of one of Boudicca's generals. The mound was more of a landmark 60 years ago - the owner's father recalled it as tree-covered and surrounded by a hedge. Since cultivation by the owner's family it has been reduced in height by 3ft and the top has started to subside. <4> Diameter is 47.39m north-east to south-west, 46.3m north-west to south-east, on a slope, it is 3-5m high. The owner remembers playing on the barrow as a boy in the 1920s, he remembers it as 16ft higher, larger and surrounded by a 'moat'. It was fenced with a gate, large trees grew on the top. "Description perhaps suggests a Roman barrow". Site Assessment = Mound in good condition, grassed over, kept cut by owner, signs of subsidence on the highest point, shows as a shallow depression. In 1979 was 30cm deep, c1m in diameter, in 1980 was possibly slightly deeper. Field ploughed round the barrow, perimeter respected. Grassed area presumably scheduled area, is certainly the area agreed in the AP agreement. Was larger and ditched once. <5> 7 photos in the record. <6> <7> Maybe a robbed Roman barrow. 36.58m high, 2.43m high. Reference to finding of late Roman hoard of bronze vessels in long barrow in VCH "is totally unfounded, source unknown". <8> <9> See also: <10> - <13> Bowl barrow situated on west facing slope overlooking River Stour, visible as an earthen mount 48m in diameter and 2.5m high. The ditch, now infilled, was 2m wide. <14> Field survey. 1950. A bowl-shaped barrow, now 57 metres in diameter at the base and 2.5 metres high, with no trace of outer ditch. Barrow under plough and becoming much spread. In fairly good condition. Two thick fragments of brick or tile were found by me by the barrow; both fragments were very similar to Roman brick. No further finds made in the immediate vicinity of the barrow. <15> See also: <16> - <18>