Monument record MDO1697 - Giant's Grave and Giant Stones, Melcombe Horsey

A short terrace, the surviving part of a strip lynchet, with a mound at the northern end. This feature is thought possibly to have been modified for use as a pillow mound. A pillow mound of more conventional form lies near by. The feature is visible as earthworks on lidar imagery and was digitally recorded during the Mid Dorset Downs AIM project.

ST 75750165. 'Giant's Grave' (name in local use) is as described by RCHM <2>.

Giant Stones: ST 7574801660. The largest sarsen in the terrace, is of conspicuous whitish - colour, with the surface finely indented by small 'sponge-like' cavities. It is not earth-fast and assumes a semi-recumbent position. (See ground-photo).

ST 7571801682. The small sarsen exposed in the field boundary is of little visual interest; it projects 0.7m. Above ground surface. (see ground photo). The earthwork is poorly defined on OS air photographs. Resurveyed at 1:2500 on MSD. <4>

The feature is visible as earthworks on lidar imagery and was digitally recorded during the Mid Dorset Downs AIM project. (Environment Agency 2023).

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch 2 (Map). SDO11594.

(ST 75760165) Giant's Grave (NR) Giant's Stones

<2> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 175 (Monograph). SDO136.

‘(21) 'Giant's Grave' (75770165), lies along the lower W. slopes of Henning Hill in the extreme S. of the parish. Immediately above it the hillside rises steeply. The monument comprises a terrace, from 9 ft. to 21 ft. in width, 210 ft. in length, and about 2 ft. high, which curves slightly W. towards the S. end. A shallow ditch about 4 ft. across flanks the W. side and extends around the N. end. A low rectangular mound (23 ft. by 18 ft.) has been built on the terrace at the N. end. The terrace is almost certainly the result of ploughing; it represents a strip lynchet which has been truncated at the N. end and to which a mound has been added. Despite 'strange popular traditions' (Hutchins IV, 381) the Giant's Grave is probably comparable with the pillow mound (22) which lies 40 yds. to the S.S.E.

The 'Giant's Stones' are two sarsen boulders. One, measuring 7½ ft. by 5½ ft. by 3½ ft., lies midway along the terrace of the Giant's Grave. The other, 130 ft. to the N.W., is largely buried at a field edge; the exposed portion is 5 ft. long. There is no evidence that the boulders were ever connected with the mound or that they have any structural significance.’

<3> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 3179-81, 3179 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17530.

<4> Stone, J W, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigator's Comments JWS, F1 JWS 12-DEC-78 (Unpublished document). SDO11902.

<4.1> Ordnance Survey, OS 74/058/194 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17640.

<4.1> Ordnance Survey, OS 74/058/195 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17635.

<4.2> Ordnance Survey, OS 74/058/196-97, 196 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17619.

<5> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AO55/203/6 (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW FROM SOUTH-WEST.NOT A LONG BARROW.ONE OR TWO `SARSENS'.

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS55/F203/6 (Index). SDO14738.

GIANT'S CAVE AT MELCOMBE HORSEY. EARTHWORK AND STONE FROM SW.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 201836 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<8> Environment Agency, 15-DEC-2023, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO20691.

Record last edited

Dec 9 2025 4:52PM