Monument record MDO3308 - Bowl barrow, one of the Three Barrow Clump Group, Winterbourne Abbas

[Group Centred SY 59719022] TUMULI [OE] (1)

A. SY 59779020. B. SY 59829020 H. SY 59609013 J. SY 59589011 K. SY 59399032 - not shown on OS plans.

A. Evidently formerly a large bowl barrow or bell barrow. There remains a circular area 28 paces in diameter, the mound having been quarried away, surrounded by a ditch 11ft wide D.E.F.G.H.J. Six bowl barrows F is 22 paces in diameter, 7ft in height with a ditch; the remain five are 6-10 paces diameter, 1-2ft high.

B. A pond barrow. Diameter 33ft, depth 6ins with an outer bank 15ft wide, 6ins high.

C. Bell Barrow. Mound 13ft diam. 10ft high. Berm 10ft wide. Ditch 13ft wide, 1 ft deep.

K. Disc barrow of Dorset type. Mound 32ft diam., 2ft. high. Berm 5ft. wide. Ditch 9ft. wide, 6ins deep. Outer bank 10ft
wide, 6ins high. The berm is vague but visible on the higher slope; obscured elsewhere by soil spread and molehills. 1 (2)

K. Saucer barrow. (3)

See air photo STJ/BZ067

A. SY 59779019. Probably the remains of a barrow, the mound of which has been destroyed. The circular depression left has an approximate diameter of 18.0m., outside which a ditch 3.0m wide and 0.5m deep is visible except on the E. side.

B. SY 59799019. A grass covered pond barrow 18.0m. diameter overall and 0.3m deep, with an encircling bank 22.5m wide and
0.2m high.

C. SY 59799018. A bell barrow, diameter 27.0m the berm being 3.0m wide. The barrow is 3.5m high and has a ditch 3.5m wide
and 0.3m deep except on the W., where it has been destroyed. Grass covered.

D. SY 59739022. and E. SY 59749022. Two bowl barrows of 8.0m average diameter and 0.3m average height. Both are grass
covered.

F. SY 59719021. A grass covered bowl barrow, diameter 19.0m., and height 1.8m, with a ditch 2.5m wide and 0.3m deep.

G. [SY 59649022] A grass covered bowl barrow, diameter 7.0m., height 0.4m, crossed by a N-S modern fence.

H. SY 59599013. A flinty grass covered mound, diameter 5.0m height 0.1m. A probable bowl barrow.

J. SY 59579011. A grass covered but flinty patch, vague and unsurveyable. A probable site of a bowl barrow.

K. SY 59379033. A disc barrow of 19.0m. overall diameter, and grass covered. The central mound is 11.0m in diameter, with a
surrounding ditch 2.5m wide and 0.2m deep. The outer bank is no longer visible.

L SY 59589013. A mound identical in appearance and six to barrow H. Possibly a bowl barrow, or possibly a spread of
flint from H.

M. SY 59599007. A grass covered mound diameter 13.0m, height 0.2m, with unsurveyable traces of a ditch. Probably a bowl
barrow. (4)

N - SY 59629022. A ditchless grass covered probable bowl barrow Diam 9.0m Ht 0.2m. (5)


Bronze Age bowl barrow at Three Barrow Clump. Ditched bowl, 62ft. In diam and 7ft. High, with a berm-like feature, possibly spoil on the S. side. The ditch is 12ft. Wide and 1ft. Deep, filled on the N. by spoil from central excavation. {1}

The site is visible as low earthworks on LiDAR imagery. {3}

Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F2 JR 24-JAN-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

National Record of the Historic Environment, 451268 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1903 (Map). SWX1540.

Grinsell, L V, 1935-54, Dorset Barrows 1935-54 Manuscript (Unpublished document). SWX1556.

Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 31-DEC-54 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 463 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘THREE BARROW CLUMP GROUP (SY 59 SE). Ten barrows, including one, possibly two, bells and one pond barrow, on the top and N. slope of a spur on S. side of S. Winterborne valley. Most have been damaged. … (37) Ditched bowl (59729021) 70 yds. E.S.E. of (36). Diam. 62 ft., ht. 7 ft., with berm-like feature, possibly spoil, on S. Ditch 12 ft. wide and 1 ft. deep, filled on N. with spoil from central excavation.’

<2> Papworth, M, 1983, The South Dorset Ridgeway Project: condition and management survey, SDR 126 (Index). SDO12304.

Dimensions as above, with the N side mutilated by an excavation hollow 3.0m wide and 0.5m deep. The mound is made up from chalk rubble mixed with dark soil. The spoil from the excavation fills the ditch on the N side. Both the mound and the surrounding field are covered in established grass and the field seems to have been seldom ploughed. An area of cattle erosion is visible on the monument's N side. 1/2/B

<3> 21-FEB-2008, D0089651 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11144.

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

Record last edited

Jan 24 2024 4:00PM