Monument record MDO143 - Barrow, on Batcombe Hill, Batcombe

A mound interpreted as a probable Bronze Age bowl barrow. In 1952 this monument was reported as being around 40 feet in diameter with a mound about 3 feet high. The mound has been disturbed in the middle, presumably in the course of antiquarian investigation. A low sub-circular mound is visible at this location on a 1947 aerial photograph. The earthwork was digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Frome AIM project.

ST 62350385. Bowl barrow. <4>

A mound, about 550 yards east of the church (ST 61860386), probably a barrow about 40ft in diameter and 3ft high. The middle has been disturbed. <2>

This barrow was not identified during field investigation. There are a number of irregular undulations in the vicinity but none conform to the measurements given by the Royal Commission. Grass covered arable land. (3)

ST 62330379. Circular mark visible. <5>

ST 62370378. A 20.0m diameter, 0.3 high circular mound much reduced by cultivation. It has no visible ditch but resembles a bowl barrow and is possibly that recorded above although there is now no evidence of excavation. It is in an area of irregular undulation, currently under pasture. Surveyed at 1:2500. <6>

A low sub-circular mound is visible at this location on a 1947 aerial photograph <7>. The earthwork measures approximately 11.5m in diameter. It is recorded as a tumulus on the OS 1st Edition map <1>. The feature was digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Frome AIM project.

The feature is not visible on current Google Earth imagery.

National Record of the Historic Environment, 199138 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1864, 1886, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch one (Map). SDO10239.

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 17 (Monograph). SDO97.

'MOUND, probably a barrow, about 550 yards E. of the church, is about 40 ft. in diam. and 3 ft. high; the middle has been disturbed.'

<3> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 29-SEP-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<4> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 87 (Monograph). SDO132.

<5> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-47, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 FP 1053-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17015.

<6> Attrill, N J, Field Investigators Comments NJA, F2 NJA 23-SEP-76 (Unpublished document). SDO14743.

<7> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-47, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 FP 1052-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17029.

Record last edited

Oct 7 2024 2:11PM