Monument record MDO1275 - Bank barrow in the Black Down Group, Kingston Russell

Neolithic bank barrow. In 1952 this monument was reported as being 347 feet long with a ditch on both sides, and varying in size from 5 feet high and 43 feet wide at the south-east end to 1½ feet high and 38½ feet wide at the north-west end.

Site of a Neolithic bank barrow at Black Down. The bank is 108m long, orientated NW by SE and has a surrounding ditch. It is one of two bank barrows in the vicinity (see also MDO1270). {1-3}

[SY 58099039] "?Long barrow. 127 paces". <1>

[Not mentioned in list of Dorset bank barrows] <2>

A long barrow. Length 250 ft; width 45 ft; height 5 ft. 'Neolithic Wessex' No 140. The mound is orientated SE-NW. <3>

Bank barrow; length 347'; ditch on both sides; Ht. SE 5', NW-1 1/2. Width 43'-38 1/2'. <5>


A bank barrow which has recently been under the plough, but is now grass covered. Side ditches are visible, but so mutilated by ploughing that only on the SW side is a ditch measurable as 3.5m wide and 0.2m deep for part of the length of the barrow, as shown on plan, A slight depression exists in the mound 40.0m from the NW end where a farm track once crossed the barrow. <6>

Length of barrow 94.2m, max. width 12.5m, measurements in T2 incorrect. <7>

A Neolithic long barrow or bank barrow located on the western side of Black Down, one of a pair of similar monuments (see SY 59 SE 33). Listed by Grinsell as Kingston Russell I and by RCHME as Kingston Russel 6 (d), in 1952 RCHME described it as a mound104 yards long with a shallow ditch on each side. Aligned northwest-southeast, the mound was then 6 feet high at the southeastern end, but decreased in height towards the northwest. A corresponding decrease in width was noted, from 45 feet to 34 feet. The mound has been cut through in a number of places by recent tracks. Ordnance Survey field investigation in 1955 noted that the mound was situated on and cut out of a northeast-facing slope. The ditch was barely noticable on the northeastern side, but on the southwest it measured up to 5 metres across and 0.3 metres deep for at least part of the barrow's length. The side ditches do not continue round the ends of the mound.A Neolithic long barrow or bank barrow located on the western side of Black Down, one of a pair of similar monuments (see SY 59 SE 32). Listed by Grinsell as Kingston Russel II and RCHME as Kingston Russell 6 (i), the latter described in in 1952 as a mound 347 feet long with a ditch on both sides. Aligned northwest-southeast, the height varied from 5 feet at the southeast end to 1.5 feet at the northwest end. The width varied correspondingly between 43 feet and 38.5 feet. The mound had been cut once by a modern track. In 1954 the Ordnance Survey noted that ploughing had severely reduced the visibility of the side ditches. (NB note that Grinsell originally recorded the northwestern end of this mound as a separate bowl <5> <6> <8>

Two long barrows lie on Black Down (SY 59 SE 32 and 33). The southern one, SY 59 SE 33, is centred at SY 5809 9039. The monument comprises a long, flat topped rectangular mound with the remains of a ditch on the SW side. The mound is oriented NW/SE and is 105m long and 1.5m high. The mound tapers in width from 20m at the SE end to 12m at the NW end; it is also higher at the SE end. The ditch is slight and has been ploughed over, it is 30m long, 5m wide and some 0.4m deep. Two small round barrows lie close to the long barrow on the SW and NE sides. A slight, ploughed over field boundary, probably part of a later prehistoric field system, runs up to the NE side of the mound.

To the south of the long barrow are two rather amorphous mounds with a distinct hollow to the north. The western mound, centred at SY 5802 9038, is oriented NNW/SSE and measures 70m long, 10m wide and 1.5m high. The eastern mound, centred at SY 5808 9035, is similarly oriented. It measures 65m long, 10m wide and 1m high. The hollow on the north side is 5m wide and 0.7m deep; it is most pronounced to the north of the eastern mound. These features are most likely to be associated with the use of the Ridgeway as a route way, an estate map of 1750 shows the `Weymouth Road' in this location (DRO PH 663). <13>

The site was surveyed using differential GPS and EDM at a scale of 1: 1000 as part of a survey of the long barrows on the South Dorset Ridgeway carried out by English Heritage and the Ridgeway Survey Group. <14>

<1> Crawford, O G S, Annotated record map 6 inch (Map). SWX7265.

<2> Crawford, O G S, 1938, Bank Barrows; Anqituity, Volume 12 , Issue 46, 228-232 (Article in serial). SDO18029.

<3> Grinsell, L V, 1935-54, Dorset Barrows 1935-54 Manuscript (Unpublished document). SWX1556.

<4> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 1 Inch to 1 mile, 6th edition (Map). SDO17506.

LONG BARROW [OE]

<5> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 128 (Monograph). SDO97.

‘(6) GROUP OF BARROWS between the 500 and 600 ft. contours on or near the top of a ridge to the W. of Black Down and ¾ m. N.E. of Kingston Russell House … (i) bank barrow (151½°), 70 yards S. of (d), is 347 ft. long with a ditch on both sides. The height varies from 5 ft. at the S.E. end to 1½ ft. at the N.W. end; the width varies correspondingly from 43 ft. to 38½ ft. The bank is cut across by a modern trackway (O.S. Map of Neolithic Wessex, No. 140).’

<6> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F4 NVQ 02-MAY-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<7> Colquhoun, F D, Field Investigators Comments FDC, F2 FDC 05-MAY-55 (Unpublished document). SWX2609.

<8> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 115 (Monograph). SDO132.

'Non-existent, but W. end of long barrow.'

<9> Papworth, M, 1983, The South Dorset Ridgeway Project: condition and management survey, SDR 27 (Index). SDO12304.

Site within a regularly ploughed field, in ley pasture when visited. The mound has been spread by ploughing and flanked by faint unsurveyable traces of ditches on both sides. The mound presents a furrowed profile caused by heavy cross ploughing. Severe damage noted to this monument in 1980 when ploughed by heavy tackle, which left large flint nodules from the body of the mound. 1/4/D

<10> 23-APR-1980, NMR SY 5790/7-9 (1749/063-5) (Aerial Photograph). SDO11152.

<11> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 5099-100 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11149.

<12> Royal Air Force, 09-MAR-1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2475 3063-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11112.

<13> Riley, H, Field Investigators Comments: Hazel Riley, 2006 (Unpublished document). SDO17469.

<14> Riley, H, 2008, Long Barrows on the South Dorset Ridgeway. A Survey by English Heritage and the Ridgeway Survey Group (Unpublished document). SDO15192.

<14.1> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AF00268 (Index). SDO14738.

A survey of the Neolithic long barrows on the South Dorset Ridgeway was carried out in 2006 and 2007 by EH survey staff from the Exeter office and the Ridgeway Survey Group, a team of local volunteers. The Survey Group assisted with the survey and record of the long barrows and undertook original research. The work of the group formed the basis of the final report, and is archived with the project.Note: the catalogue record is linked to a pdf of the report.

<15> Wessex Archaeology, 2011, South Dorset Ridgeway Barrow Survey 2010 (Unpublished document). SDO12407.

<16> National Record of the Historic Environment, 451076 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 22 2024 1:03PM