Monument record MDO3174 - Possible pond barrow on Grove Hill, one of the Sherf Barrow group, Winterborne St Martin

Site of a Bronze Age barrow, recorded as an extant mound by RCHM and also visible as an earthwork and cropmarks on aerial photographs. One of a group of three barrows.

Three bowl barrows form a west-east line along the crest of Grove Hill about 1 mile north of the Ridgeway, though visible from it. All have been ploughed and are now of indefinite diameter, though at least 70 ft. Two ('A', 'B') were called 'Sherf Barrows' on I Taylor's Estate Map of c 1770 when both lay in an area of former open fields and were surrounded by square enclosures. … 'C' (64128852). 230 yds east of 'B'. Ht 4 ft. <1> <3>

'C' SY 64118851. Bowl barrow, well-preserved, diameter 40.0m., height 1.8. All are in arable, and none has any visible evidence of a ditch. Re-surveyed at 1:2500 on M.S.D. <4>

It is also visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs <6-8> and was digitally plotted during the South Dorset Ridgeway Mapping Project.These photographs, taken after the mound has been plough-levelled, reveal a circular shallow depression surrounded by a bank, approximately 40 metres in diameter, which runs around the rim of the depression, suggesting it may be of a pond barrow type. An outer ditch, approximately 2.9 metres in width and 55 metres in diameter, is also visible, separated from the internal bank and depression by a berm.

<1> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 152 (Monograph). SDO132.

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

(Centred at SY 640885) Tumulus (NR) 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, 468 (Monograph). SDO150.

<4> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 26-FEB-80 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<5> Papworth, M, 1983, The South Dorset Ridgeway Project: condition and management survey, SDR 316 (Index). SDO12304.

Diameter 40.0m and ht. 1.8m. Situated in a field usually ploughed about twice a year. 1/3/C

<6> unknown date, NMR SY 6488/2 (CCC 11755/5805) (Aerial Photograph). SDO11889.

<7> 4-8-1995, NMR SY6388/5 (15344/10) (Aerial Photograph). SDO11890.

<8> 4-8-1995, NMR SY6488/3 (15372/30) (Aerial Photograph). SDO11891.

<9> Wessex Archaeology, 2011, South Dorset Ridgeway Barrow Survey 2010 (Unpublished document). SDO12407.

<10> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<11> National Record of the Historic Environment, 452451 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 26 2023 1:05PM