Monument record MDO3318 - Bell barrow, one of the Longlands Group, Winterbourne Abbas

Group of barrows at Longlands, including one possible bell, four in a rough alignment south west-north east along spine of spur, with possible long barrow at north east end. The three south west barrows are just above the 500 ft contour and the others above 400 ft. All damaged. Near foot of steep slope to north immediately south of the main road three further barrows at 60449020, 60519025 and 60559018 are shown on OS (1811) but there is now no sign of them.

`E` Bell 307 yds east north east of `D`. Diam about 94 ft, ht 5 ft, with ditch about 105 ft in diam, separated from mound by narrow berm (VAP CPE/UK 1934, 5092). <1> <3>

`E` SY 60468995. Ploughed-over barrow, diameter 33.0m. Height 1.2m. No real evidence of a berm could be recognised and Grinsell (3) had reservations about it. A ditch is visible as a soil-mark on air photograph (a) but not on the ground. Re-surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD. <4>

A Bronze Age bell barrow visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs. It forms part of a group of six barrows, including a disc barrow, which together are known as the Longlands barrow cemetery. A possible Neolithic long barrow (MDO3284) may have acted as a focus for the development of the cemetery during the Bronze Age. <8-11>

<1> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 82, 148 (Monograph). SDO132.

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

(`C` - SY 60038979; `D` - SY 60188993; `E` - SY 60478995) Tumulus (NR) (three times)

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 464 (Monograph). SDO150.

'(47) Bell (?) (60478995) 307 yds. E.N.E. of (46). Diam. about 94 ft., ht. 5 ft., with ditch about 105 ft. in diam., separated from mound by narrow berm (V.A.P. CPE/UK 1934:5092). '

<4> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 24-Mar-1980 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<5> Papworth, M, 1983, The South Dorset Ridgeway Project: condition and management survey, SDR 150 (Index). SDO12304.

Reduced and spread by ploughing. Dimensions as above. There is a sharp soil differentiation between the mound and the surrounding field. The mound consists of a dark clay loam with many flint nodules while the surrounding field is chalky with many flints. The barrow appears as a promiment rise in a field which has been recently ploughed and sown with grass. No visible ditch. 1/3/C

<6> Wessex Archaeology, 2011, South Dorset Ridgeway Barrow Survey 2010 (Unpublished document). SDO12407.

<7> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<8> 28-JUN-2000, NMR SY 6090/9 (18766/29) (Aerial Photograph). SDO11125.

<9> 28-JUN-2000, NMR SY 6090/6 (18802/23) (Aerial Photograph). SDO11124.

<10> 23-APR-1980, NMR SY 5060/2 (1749/086) (Aerial Photograph). SDO11119.

<11> 21-APR-1984, NMR OS/84037 304-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11118.

<12> National Record of the Historic Environment, 452337 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 23 2025 10:57AM