NHER 7718 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Bronze Age round barrow with possible Neolithic precursor, the Warren

On the Warren, just north of the railway line and almost surrounded by gravel pits is a bowl barrow 125 feet [38m] in diameter and 6 feet [1.8m] high with no ditch. It is covered by bracken and trees and has been mutilated by rabbit burrows.
R.R. Clarke (NCM), 30 December 1936.

See also Ancient Monument description (S3) in file.

1975. Field Observation.
The barrow has been re-measured at 42m in diameter and 2m high. It is flat topped and covered with bracken.
A.J. Lawson (NAU), 7 January 1975.

October 1983. Field Observation.
No change. The barrow is surrounded and covered by dense bracken and scattered birch trees.

December 1987. Field Observation.
Two birch trees on the lip of the mound were felled in a gale.
J.J. Wymer (NAU).

November 1993. Field Observation.
No further change. The mound is bracken-covered, with a few small trees and there is one fallen silver birch in the southwest quadrant.
D. Gurney (NLA), 29 November 1993.

February 2000. Field Observation.
No changes observed.
D. Gurney (NLA), 21 February 2000.

February 2003. Field Observation.
There are a few birch trees on the mound and it is completely masked by bracken. Some rabbit disturbance was also noted. [1] has undertaken to remove bracken and control rabbits.
H. Paterson (A&E), 14 February 2003.

October 2007. Norfolk NMP.
The earthworks of a Bronze Age round barrow are located on The Warren at Lenwade (S4-S5). The mound is centred on TG 1137 1798. A number of other barrows were also previously located on The Warren (NHER 7729-7730, 50622), however the majority of these have since been destroyed by aggregate extraction. This remaining barrow, which is a Scheduled Monument, is now located on an island of unquarried land that is surrounded by gravel pits.

The barrow is recorded as being 42m in diameter (see above), however the main barrow mound visible on the aerial photographs would appear to only be approximately 28m in diameter. However it would appear that this pronounced circular mound sits on top of a much lower mound that is elliptical or eye-shaped, measuring approximately 40m by 34.5m. The break in profile from the lower mound to the central one would strongly suggest that a second circular mound has been placed on top at a later date. The oval shape of the earlier mound would be consistent with that of a Neolithic barrow, onto which a Bronze Age round barrow has been constructed. This sequence has been suggested for a similar arrangement of mounds at Howe’s Hill, Sheringham (NHER 6292). Although it is also possible that the lower oval mound is actually a natural gravel island onto which the round barrow has been placed. A site visit would be required to further interpret this site.

This barrow forms part of a small cemetery (NHER 50646) located at the base of valley side slope, on the edge of the terrace of the River Wensum. This positioning of valley side and terrace edge is mirrored by another barrow group approximately 6km to the east at Sparham (NHER 30639). These barrows at Lenwade are likely to have originally formed part of a dispersed cemetery (NHER 7728) originally said to have contained up to eleven barrows on Morton Common (exact location unknown).
Also see (S8)
S. Massey (NMP), 22 October 2007.

February 2013.
No changes noted.
D. Gurney (HES), 18 February 2013.