Monument record MDO1272 - Bowl barrow in the Black Down Group, Kingston Russell

A Bronze Age bowl barrow on the south-west end of Black Down, part of a loose scatter of barrows This monument was described by the Ordnance Survey in 1955 as a mound 15 metres in diameter and 1.8 metres high. Grinsell had reported the presence of a ditch, but none could be observed by the Ordnance Survey field investigator, though modern tracks had clearly created depressions on the south and east sides of the mound, which is also crossed by a modern fence.

A bowl barrow, part of a loose scatter of barrows (see SY 59 SE 48 and associated monuments). Listed by RCHME as Kingston Russell 6f and by Grinsell as Kingston Russell 4, it was described by the Ordnance Survey in 1955 as a mound 15 metres in diameter and 1.8 metres high. Grinsell had reported the presence of a ditch, but none could be observed by the Ordnance Survey field investigator, though modern tracks had clearly created depressions on the south and east sides of the mound, which is also crossed by a modern fence. <1-4>

Site of a Bronze Age bowl barrow on the south-west end of Black Down. The site is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs. <6>

This barrow was formerly recorded as part of SY 59 SE 48. That record should be consulted for additional sources and information. <8>

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 128 (Monograph). SDO150.

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 03-MAY-1955 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<3> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 115 (Monograph). SDO132.

<4> Bailey, C J, 1980, Excavation of three round barrows in the parish of Kingston Russell; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO18030.

<5> Papworth, M, 1983, The South Dorset Ridgeway Project: condition and management survey, SDR (Index). SDO12304.

The E fence line has been inserted along a plough line which has reduced the mound of the barrow on the NE side to an angle. The western half has been part-ploughed, particularly reducing the height on the N side. Barrow eroded around the west side by ploughing and on the E side the barrow has been angled away prior to the insertion of the fence. Erosion by cattle grazing on both sides. The complicated series of fences has, to a certain extent, preserved this barrow well and the mound is still preserved to its original height, but is now severely misshapen and has a lop-sided appearance. 1/3/C

<6> 02-APR-1969, NMR OS/69053 004-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11126.

<7> Wessex Archaeology, 2011, South Dorset Ridgeway Barrow Survey 2010 (Unpublished document). SDO12407.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1316237 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jun 1 2022 11:06AM