Monument record MDO245 - Long barrow, one of the Bincombe Hill Group, Bincombe

A long barrow in a prominent position on the crest of a ridge. In 1970 this monument was described as being around 270 feet long, and partly preserved within later field boundaries, but formerly extending at both ends. Where best preserved, at the southern end, the mound was reported as being about 45 feet wide and 5 feet high. Visible on aerial photographs {1}. The site was digitally plotted during the South Dorset Ridgeway Mapping Project.

Long Barrow (SY 68858515) about 520 ft. above O.D., is prominently sited on the crest of a ridge with ground falling from it on all sides but the S.

Almost E.-W.(88o), it is 270 ft. long but formerly extended at both ends beyond the field boundaries, where the hedges still preserve the mound to a height of 3 1/2 ft. Where undisturbed it has a ridged cross-profile and is some 45 ft. wide and about 5 ft. high from the S.; on the N., where ploughing at some time before enclosure has formed a negative lynchet, it is 6 ft. high at the W. end and 8 ft. at the E. Further damage has been caused by modern ploughing on the S. and by tracks at either end. <1>

SY 68858516 The long barrow is generally as described by RCHM <1>. Its overall length is 80.5m between the two hedges but its effective length has been reduced to 72.0m by the tracks at each end. Its average width is 10.5m and its height 1.5m on the south and from 2.1m to 2.5m on the north. There is no visible
evidence of side ditches. The long barrow is turf covered and generally well preserved. (Four 1.3m high, striped marker posts are placed at intervals along the south side). See ground photographs. Re-surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD. <2>

The long barrow lies just to the north of the summit of Bincombe Hill at SY 6885 8516. It comprises a rectangular mound, orientated W-E, 75m long, 10m wide and 1.3m high. The west and east ends of the mound are rather disturbed and ploughing has obscured any earthwork remains of flanking ditches. It has been suggested that this mound is of quite recent construction and associated with the military use of the area. It is depicted on the OS 1st edition map of 1862-89, giving it some antiquity. There was a large military camp on Bincombe Downs in 1801, formed at the threat of a Napoleonic invasion (Hutchins, J 1861-70 The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset, 278). The earthworks, however, do not look `fresh¿ enough to have been constructed in the 19th century and the monument is more likely to be a long barrow. It lies towards the centre of the Bincombe Hill round barrow group and traces of Early Neolithic settlement have been found to the west on Ridgeway Hill and to the east on West Hill (RCHME 1970 Dorset vol 2, 511). <4>

The site was surveyed using differential GPS and EDM at a scale of 1: 500 as part of a survey of the long barrows on the South Dorset Ridgeway carried out by English Heritage and the Ridgeway Survey Group. <5>

Long barrow visible as an earthwork. overall length is 80.5m between the two hedges but its effective length has been reduced to 72.0m by the tracks at each end. Its average width is 10.5m and its height 1.5m on the south and from 2.1m to 2.5m on the north. There is no visible evidence of side ditches. The long barrow is turf covered and generally well preserved. Visible on aerial photographs <7>. The site was digitally plotted during the South Dorset Ridgeway Mapping Project.

<1> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 431 (Monograph). SDO136.

‘(12) LONG BARROW (SY 68 NE; 68858515; Fig. p. 24), about 520 ft. above O.D., is prominently sited on the crest of a ridge with ground falling from it on all sides but the S.; it forms part of the Bincombe Hill Barrow Group (R. 10).
Almost E.-W. (88°), it is 270 ft. long but formerly extended at both ends beyond the field boundaries, where the hedges still preserve the mound to the height of 3½ ft. Where undisturbed it has a ridged cross-profile and is some 45 ft. wide and about 5 ft. high from the S.; on the N., where ploughing at some time before enclosure has formed a negative lynchet, it is 6 ft. high at the W. end and 8 ft. at the E. Further damage has been caused by modern ploughing on the S. and by tracks at either end.’

<2> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 02-FEB-80 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<3> Papworth, M, 1983, The South Dorset Ridgeway Project: condition and management survey, SDR 519 (Index). SDO12304.

Situated in a field regularly ploughed and in ley pasture. Barrow covered in established grass.1/3/B

<4> Riley, H, Field Investigators Comments: Hazel Riley, April 2006 (Unpublished document). SDO17469.

<5> Riley, H, 2008, Long Barrows on the South Dorset Ridgeway. A Survey by English Heritage and the Ridgeway Survey Group (Unpublished document). SDO15192.

<6> Wessex Archaeology, 2011, South Dorset Ridgeway Barrow Survey 2010 (Unpublished document). SDO12407.

<7> 14-APR-1957, CUCAP (UM28) (Aerial Photograph). SDO12011.

<8> English Heritage, Historic England Archive AF00268 Long Barrows on the South Dorset Ridgeway, Dorset (Excavation archive). SDO19846.

<9> National Record of the Historic Environment, 452084 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 14 2023 11:00AM