Monument record MDO2963 - Bowl barrow on Whitcombe Down, Whitcombe

Bronze Age bowl barrow visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs. It is one of two barrrows close by to one another at this location, and forms part of a wider dispersed group of 8 similar monuments.

SY 71008698. Bowl barrow. Diameter 45ft, height 4.5ft. Ploughed.

SY 71018701 Bowl barrow, possibly ditched. Diameter 45ft, height 4ft. Ploughed. (2,3)

SY 71008697. A bowl barrow, diameter now 15.0m north-west to south-east and 12.0m. south-west to north-east, and maximum height 2.0m. It has been slightly truncated on the east side by ploughing. There is no visible evidence of a ditch.

SY 71018701. A bowl barrow, diameter 16.0m east-west by 15.0m north-south, and maximum height 2.7m. There is a vague suggestion of a ditch on the west side only. Both barrows are grass-covered in arable.

Published Surveys (1:2500) revised. (4)

2 Bronze Age bowl barrows located 530 metres north east of Whitcombe Barn and included with a third barrow located at SY 78 NW 22 in a scheduling separated into 2 areas of protection. The barrows are also part of a dispersed group of 8 similar monuments. Each has a mound 0.5 metres to 1.5 metres in height and 14 metres to 26 metres in diameter. (5)


Bronze Age bowl barrow, located 500 metres north east of Whitcombe Barn, visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs. It is one of two scheduled barrrows situated close by to one onther at this location (MDO2964). It forms part of a wider dispersed group of 8 similar monuments. {1-2}

<1> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 143 (Monograph). SDO132.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 71018699) Tumuli (NR)

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 459 (Monograph). SDO150.

'Four barrows (SY 78 NW), all ploughed, lie on continuation of same low ridge to N.E. … (22) Bowl (71008698). Diam. 45 ft., ht. 4½ ft.'

<4> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 06-NOV-79 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<5> Papworth, M, 1983, The South Dorset Ridgeway Project: condition and management survey, SDR 565 (Index). SDO12304.

Bowl, now 15.0m NW-SE + 12.0m SW-NE. Max. ht. 2.0m. It has been slightly truncated on E side by ploughing. Ther is no visible evidence of a ditch. Grass covered in a ploughed field. 1/2/C

<6> English Heritage, English Heritage Scheduling Amendment, 16-JAN-2001 (Scheduling record). SDO17245.

<7> 27-AUG-1998, NMR SY 7186/9-11 (18150/13-15) (Aerial Photograph). SDO10827.

<8> 12-APR-1983, NMR SY 7186/1-5 (2134/011-14) (Aerial Photograph). SDO10826.

<9> National Record of the Historic Environment, 454006 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 22 2023 2:48PM