Monument record MDO3088 - Herringston Barrow, Winterborne Herringston

Possible bowl barrow described in 1970 as being around 77 feet in diameter with a mound 6 feet high. Much damaged and crossed by the boundary of the former parish of Fordington. Opened in 1880 by Cunnington who found a primary (?) contracted inhmation under a cairn, in which was possibly a cremation with part of a flint or stone axe. Visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs. The site was digitally plotted during the South Dorset Ridgeway Mapping Project.

Opened in 1880 by Cunnington who found a primary (?) contracted inhmation under a cairn, in which was possibly a cremation with part of a flint or stone axe. Primary crouched interment, probably beneath cairn, among ashes in this cairn was part of an axe of flint or stone. <1>

'B' Herringston Barrow, bowl barrow (SY 68548844) Diam about 77 ft., Ht. 6 ft. Much damaged, and crossed and crossed by the boundary of the former parish of Fordington. Opened in 1880 by Cunnington who found a primary (?) contracted inhumation under a cairn, in which was possibly a cremation with part of a flint or stone axe. <2> <4>

'B' SY 68548844.An elongated mound known as Herringston Barrow, impossible to equate with the RCHM description but so mutilated and spread that it is difficult to determine its function and precise limits. It is 66.0m long and 15.0m wide at its maximum, and height 1.5m; a boundary bank runs along its long axis (approximately E-W). It may be the remnants of a severely mutilated long barrow. 'B' surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD. <5>

Visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs <7>. The site was digitally plotted during the South Dorset Ridgeway Mapping Project.

<1> Acland J E, 1916, List of Dorset Barrows, opened or described by Mr E. Cunnington, 40-7 (Article in serial). SWX9318.

<2> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 149 (Monograph). SDO132.

<3> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 68548844) Herringston Barrow (NR)

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 465 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘The parish, consisting mainly of relatively low ground N. of the Ridgeway, contains only four barrows. … (6) Herringston Barrow, bowl (?) (SY 68 NE; 68548844), 60 yds. E. of (5). Diam. about 77 ft., ht. 6 ft. Much damaged, and crossed by the same boundary as (5). Opened in 1880 by Cunnington who found a primary (?) contracted inhumation under a cairn, in which was possibly a cremation with port of a flint or stone axe.’

<5> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 11-JUN-80 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<6> Papworth, M, 1983, The South Dorset Ridgeway Project: condition and management survey, SDR 476 (Index). SDO12304.

Width and height of this barrow as above but the length is subject to the interpretation of the much disturbed earthworks. The mound has been flattened against the hedgeline, this damage cuased by the plough. South of the fence the mound is unploughed, covered in grass with a flat top with stones placed on it. An area W of the mound is disturbed ground and is considered by Barton as a continuation of the mound, but may well be spoil from the 1880 excavations of this barrow and the one next to it. 1/4/C

<7> 24-JAN-2008, LIDAR D0089663 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11819.

<8> Wessex Archaeology, 2011, South Dorset Ridgeway Barrow Survey 2010 (Unpublished document). SDO12407.

<9> National Record of the Historic Environment, 451989 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<10> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1300187 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 18 2024 10:50AM