Monument record BNH 004 - Mill House

Round barrow at Mill House.
1957 : Partly excavated by A R Edwardson. 18.3 diameter and 1.8m high before excavation. 10 foot wide trench cut from N edge to centre found contracted female inhumation, accompanied by a pygmy cup, in grave cut into old land surface and covered by turf mound which in turn was capped by sand. No ditch was found but, if published section is accurate, this would have been outside excavation (S2)(S6). Also sketch plan of excavation on reverse of BSEMH map (S4).
1958 : Tumulus at crossroads, Barnham, investigated by A R Edwardson and found to contain female skeleton and incense cups (S5)(S6). 1962 : A turf-covered bowl barrow measuring 27m E-W and 24m N-S with a maximum height of 1.7m. It is in good condition apart from old excavation trenches around the centre. There is no visible ditch (S5). 23/1/1976 : Grassed and some saplings. Signs of disturbance on top. Mound height circa 1.52m, diameter circa 26.5m (S3).
6/10/1977 : Grass covered, diameter 26m, height 1.6m, no visible ditch. In good condition and now stands in the garden of a private house and is grazed by donkeys (S2).
25/6/1981 : Barrow rough grass and nettle covered - still grazed by donkeys. Post stable-shed construction in SE corner, this seems to have caused some erosion in corner of barrow (S2).
1986 : Under grass, dimensions as in 1977. Hollow in S side (? subsidiary trench of 1957 excavation). Shed described in 1981 remains, and is definitely cut into SE edge of mound (S2).
1991: Grassed out, kept mown (S8).
See also barrow BNH 005.

March 2018. 'Brecks from Above' and Breckland National Mapping Programme.
The earthworks of this scheduled round barrow are visible on aerial photographs (S9-S11) and lidar imagery (S12). The mound represents the only surviving part of a cluster of up to seven barrows forming a barrow cemetery overlooking the Little Ouse River and a minor tributary (BNH 120). This Bronze Age barrow cemetery appears to have become a focus for Saxon inhumations during the later 7th and early 8th centuries AD (BNH 100; S13).
The mound is sub circular, with a flattened northern side. Traces of the outer ditch survive to the north of the mound.
S. Horlock (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 10th March 2018.