Monument record MDO3191 - Quadruple bell barrow in the Eweleaze Barn group, Winterborne St Martin

Quadruple bell barrow, four adjacent mounds, heights of 7ft. to 8ft. and diams (N.-S.) of 84ft., 67ft., 62ft., and 67ft. Surrounded by ditch 15ft. wide and 1ft. deep. Overall length of mound 280ft., the N. mound is slightly W. of the others and damaged by excavation.

Ten barrows including a pound barrow ('F') and a quadruple bell barrow ('K'), form an irregular linear cemetery orientated roughly North West to South East on top of the second spur east of Shorn Hill. 'K' is unique in England. 'A', 'C', 'D' and 'F' were excavated by St George Gray and Prideaux in 1902.

'K' Quadruple bell (65008714) 50 yds South East of 'J'. Four adjacent mounds, hts 7 ft to 8 ft and diams North-South 84 ft 67 ft, 62 ft and 67 ft, along axis of spur in North West to South East line, surrounded by ditch 15 ft wide and 1 ft deep. Overall length of mounds 280 ft. North mound slightly West of
alignment of others and damaged by excavation. Ploughing has destroyed berm. (2,3)

'K' SY 64998713. Quadruple barrow. Four mounds surrounded by common ditch. Their diameters are, from north to south, 28.0m., 25.0m., 25.0m., and 27.0m., and their heights 2.5m. 2.0m., 1.8m., and 2.0m., respectively. The ditch is approximately 4.0m. wide and 0.2m. deep, and is not visible at the southern extremity of the barrow. There are vague traces of an outer bank beyond the ditch on the west side of the complex. Re-surveyed at 1:2500 on M.S.D.

(SY64828728; 64828720; 64818712) The cropmarks of three probable barrows on Crawford air photograph, could not be traced in arable field. (4)

Aerial photograph of the "quadruple bell" barrow. (5)


Visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs. The site was digitally plotted during the South Dorset Ridgeway Mapping Project. <5>

A quadruple bell barrow, probably unique in England, comprising four mounds enclosed within a common ditch. They are listed by Grinsell as Winterborne St Martin 40a-d, and by RCHME as Winterborne St Martin 90. They are part of a larger cemetery, the Eweleaze Barn barrow group (see SY 68 NW 56 and associated records). In 1980, the Ordnance Survey recorded the mounds, from northwest to southeast, as having diameters of 28 metres, 25 metres, 25 metres and 27 metres; and respective heights of 2.5 metres, 2 metres, 1.8 metres and 2 metres. The ditch is circa 4 metres wide and 0.2 metres deep, but is not visible at the southernmost end. There are vague traces of an outer bank on the western side of the complex. RCHME noted traces of excavation damage on the northernmost mound, but no details are known of any digging. This barrow was originally recorded as part of SY 68 NW 56. That record should be consulted for additional sources and information. <6>

National Record of the Historic Environment, 452448 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(Centred SY 648874) Tumuli [NR] (three times)

Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 06-MAY-80 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<1> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 167 (Monograph). SDO132.

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 469 (Monograph). SDO150.

'(91) Quadruple bell (?) (65008714) 50 yds. S.E. of (90). Four adjacent mounds, hts. 7 ft. to 8 ft. and diams. N.-S. 84 ft., 67 ft., 62 ft., and 67 ft., along axis of spur in N.W. to S.E. line, surrounded by ditch 15 ft. wide and 1 ft. deep. Overall length of mounds 280 ft. N. Mound slightly W. of alignment of others and damaged by excavation. Ploughing has destroyed berm. (A.B.M.E. (1953), Pl. Ivb.)'

<3> Papworth, M, 1983, The South Dorset Ridgeway Project: condition and management survey, SDR 351 (Index). SDO12304.

Four mounds surrounded by a common ditch. Their diameters are from N-S 28.0m, 25.0m, 25.0m and 27.0m and their heights 2.5m, 2.0m, 1.8m and 2.0m. The ditch is approx. 4.0m wide and 0.2m deep. Hole mentioned by the RCHM in the N mound is not visible. The monument is protected from further plough damage by six white marker posts. 1/3/C

<4> Wessex Archaeology, 2011, South Dorset Ridgeway Barrow Survey 2010 (Unpublished document). SDO12407.

<5> National Monuments Record, 26-MAR-1968, NMR SY6587/4 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11823.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1268629 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 27 2024 5:03PM