Monument record MDO2838 - The Eggardon Barrow, West Compton

Very mutilated, may never have been a barrow, this is the site from which at least 7 socketed bronze axes of Breton type, mostly with a high percentage of tin, were found, a flint scraper and sherds of well burnt British pottery were found in the mound. <3>

Ploughing has caused soil to pile up against the southern site of the mound, but on the north side it rose 6ft. Above the natural ground level. The mound has been dug into along its crest especially at the western end, which appears to have been the larger, and appears to consist of soil and large limestone blocks. There are no visible traces of flanking ditches. "It seems probable that this is a long barrow (or more strictly a long cairn)". <4>

Possibly a long barrow, but much disturbed, and the outline obscured. <5>

A doubtful long barrow, E-W orientation. Length 150ft, width 60ft. Height 6ft. A Very mutilated. It is probably the barrow from which at least 7 socketed bronze axes of BRETON type were obtained in 1882. Six of these are in the DORSET CO. MUSEUM and one in the BRIDPORT MUSEUM. A few days after the excavation CUNNINGTON found a flint scraper and pottery sherds in the mound. B-d [This barrow is entered under both long barrows and bowl barrows]. <6>

Long barrow:- [does not apply WW 21.5.54] <7>

This mound is situated in a narrow valley, and is oriented in an E-W direction. The total length is 43.0m, and the width averages 17.0m although the mound tapers at the E end. There are no side ditches. The mound is from 1.5m - 2.0m high on the N. side but barely 0.5m. High when measured from the S. This discrepancy may be due to a pile up of soil from ploughing - certainly the S.W. part of the mound seems to be a lynchet. The top of the mound has been much disturbed, and diggings along the S. half show a dark sandy soil overgrown with nettles. The most interesting feature is on the N. side of the mound, at A, where an area 4.0m long and 2.5m. Wide has been cleared of 0.3m. Of top soil. This clearance shows that there is a platform of solid stone beneath the surface, and this appears to be a natural outcrop. This site is extremely doubtful as a long barrow, and from present appearance, doubtful if a barrow at all. The position is curious and it may be that an outcrop of rock has been covered by soil creep, natural and from ploughing, which soil has built up on the S. side of the rock. The suggestion in T4 that the bronze axe hoard was found here does not accord with information at the DORSET CO. MUSEUM. (This hoard has been dealt with on DORSET 39 NW 34 ), and there is probably some confusion regarding the site. <8>

Potential site of a Neolithic Long barrow. The site was previously considered to be a barrow, however the elongated mound may in part be a natural rock outcrop and in part formed by a later field lynchet. The site is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs. <10

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1903 (Map). SWX1540.

Tumulus [OE]

<3> Grinsell, L V, Dorset Barrows (Unpublished MSs) (Unpublished document). SWX2678.

<3.1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1946, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1945, 29 (Serial). SDO45.

<3.2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1900, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club for 1900, 53 (Serial). SDO14.

<3.3> Acland J E, 1916, List of Dorset Barrows, opened or described by Mr E. Cunnington (Article in serial). SWX9318.

<3.4> Cunnington, E, 1915, Cunnington MSS, No 51 (Unpublished document). SDO10110.

<4> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1946, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1945, 89 (Serial). SDO45.

<5> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 99 (Monograph). SDO97.

'(5) Mound, possibly a long barrow, 200 yards W.S.W. of Eggardon Hill Farm and 1,100 yards W. of the church, is about 53 yards long and at most 18 yards wide and 5 ft. high. It has been much disturbed and the outline obscured. Its axis lies roughly E. and W.'

<6> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 102 (Monograph). SDO132.

<7> Crawford, O G S, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments: O G S Crawford (Verbal communication). SWX8206.

<8> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F4 NVQ 20-MAY-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<9> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 1 Inch to 1 mile, 6th edition (Map). SDO17506.

LONG BARROW [OE]

<10> Royal Air Force, 22-JAN-1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2431 4151-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11074.

<11> National Record of the Historic Environment, 450911 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

May 31 2022 12:56PM