Monument record MDO1249 - Roman burials at Withymead, Westrow, Holwell

Finds described as "old British graves and a quantity of old pottery" were found during drainage works at Withymead in 1866. It was reported that pottery was found with the burials, and descriptions suggest a Roman date.

(Area ST 696113) Inhumation burials were found at Westrow during field drainage in 1866 and 1868 in two fields
called Bindley and Withymead, situated at ST 696115 and ST 696112. They were accompanied by pottery, probably Roman. The discoveries were noted in the diary of the late Major J Warry of Westrow House. A Samian bowl thought to have come from the site was presented to Dorset County Museum in 1937 by Mrs B Warry. <3>

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1956, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1955, 146 (Serial). SDO55.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1965, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1964, 119 (Serial). SDO64.

‘'Some ancient sites recorded in N. and N.E. Dorset by Ordnance Survey. Details of the following sitses have been extracted from the card index of the Archaeology Branch of the Ordnance Survey at Chessington, Surrey, and are published by kind permission of the Archaeology Officer, Mr. C. W. Phillips. (i) Westrow, Holwell. The diary of Major J. Warry states that "old British graves and a quantity of old pottery" were found in draining Withymead, 8th March, 1866. "Some more old graves" were found in draining Bindley, 2nd Feb., 1868. The sites, on Oxford Clay, were at approximately ST 696112 and 696 115 respectively (cf. Proceedings Vol. 77 (1955), p. 146).'

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 1, 123 (Monograph). SDO146.

'(20) Inhumation burial found at Westrow (approx 696112 and 696115) while draining fields in 1866 and 1868 were accompanied by pottery, probably Roman, including a samian bowl (Dorset Procs. LXXVII (1955), 146; LXXXVI (1964), 199)'.

Record last edited

Jan 18 2022 9:41AM