Ballowall Barrow facts for kids
Ballowall Barrow
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 Location in Southwest Cornwall
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| Location | St Just, Cornwall |
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| Coordinates | 50°07′20″N 5°42′05″W / 50.122306°N 5.701361°W |
| Type | Chambered tomb |
| Site notes | |
| Ownership | English Heritage |
| Public access | Yes |
Ballowall Barrow (Cornish: Krug Karrekloos) is a very old burial place, sometimes called a chambered tomb. It's found on a cliff top near St Just in Cornwall, England. People also know it as Carn Gluze Barrow. This special site was used for burials over many years, from the Stone Age (Neolithic period) to the Bronze Age.
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Discovering Ballowall Barrow
Ballowall Barrow was first dug up, or excavated, in 1878. It was found hidden under old mining waste. An archaeologist named William Copeland Borlase led this first dig.
It was a bit tricky to understand what they found. Some of the items discovered during the dig were lost. Also, some changes were made to the site after the excavation. These changes were meant to make the inside easier to see. Because of this, the site you see today is a mix of its original ancient parts and newer reconstructions.
The items that were found during the excavations are now kept in museums. You can find them in Truro, Cambridge, and the British Museum.
What Does Ballowall Barrow Look Like?
This ancient burial mound is quite large, about 72 feet (22 meters) across. It has a central part that looks like a dome. Inside this dome, there are special stone boxes called cists. There's also a pit underneath.
Around this central dome, there's an outer mound, which also has cists. An entrance grave is located on the outside of this outer mound.
A Unique Ancient Site
Ballowall Barrow is special because of how it was built. It combines burial traditions from two different time periods: the Neolithic (Stone Age) and the Bronze Age. This mix of old and even older ways of burying people makes it unique.
Another similar site was once recorded, but its exact location is now lost. This makes Ballowall Barrow even more important for understanding ancient history.
Protecting Ballowall Barrow
Ballowall Barrow is a protected site, known as a Scheduled monument. This means it's a very important historical place that is looked after by the government. It was first protected in 1923, and its protection was updated in 1996.
Today, English Heritage is in charge of looking after the site. The National Trust helps to manage it, making sure it stays safe for everyone to visit and learn from.
