Dewley Hill round barrow

Dewley Hill is a well-preserved example of an exceptionally large round barrow which has provided evidence of Neolithic date. This makes it one of a small group of large round barrows of such early date. The area around the barrow has provided evidence of Mesolithic and Neolithic activity, and further evidence will be preserved. Remains in the field around the barrow no longer survive as earthwork features, but they remain clearly visible on aerial photographs and considerable information on their dating, exact nature and relationship to the barrow will be preserved.

The monument includes the round barrow known as Dewley Hill, situated 350m north east of Dewley Farm, near Throckley. The mound and a series of cropmark features which surround the barrow, occupies a small rise above the Dewley Burn and is circular in plan and dome shaped in section. It is approximately 6m high and is 40m in diameter. The mound is of earth and stone construction. The top of the mound has a hollow marking the location of an unrecorded excavation in 1966. A Neolithic stone axe has been found in the mound. Flints of Mesolithic and Neolithic date have been found on and around the mound. Aerial photographs of the monument indicate that the barrow is surrounded by a number of cropmarks. These include a circular cropmark, interpreted as a bank and ditch immediately surrounding the barrow, a hut circle and a further enclosing feature, believed to be a boundary bank and ditch enclosing the raised ground around the barrow. Further circular cropmarks, interpreted as hut circles, are evident in the north west corner of the field. These surrounding features are also included in the scheduling.