Monument record MDO3368 - Bell barrow east of Smitten Corner, Winterbourne Steepleton

A Bronze bell barrow. One of a cluster of three located here. Also visible on aerial photographs as a circular earthwork mound surrounded by an outer ditch.

SY 61688775. A bell barrow, with mound on top on slight south east slope 50 yards east of SY 68 NW 35. Diameter of primary mound 55 ft ht 5ft with flat top surmounted by mound 24 ft in diameter and 2 ft high. On south where berm absent, slope of upper mound runs into that of lower. Berm 10 ft wide at most. Ditch 15 ft wide and up to 2 1/2 ft deep, disturbed by solution hollows. <1-2>

SY 61688774. Bell barrow; diameter of mound 23.0m, height 3.7m, with ditch 4.0m wide on north and north-east sides only. Berm 2.0m wide visible on all except south-east side. In arable but not ploughed. Re-surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD. <3>

A Bronze Age bell barrow, one of a cluster of three barrows located on a knoll above a steep west slope about 500 yards east-north-east of Black Down (MDO3367-69).

Described by the RCHM as a bell barrow with a mound on top, the diameter of the primary mound measuring 55ft. And 5ft. High. The primary mound has a flat top surmounted by a secondary mound 24ft. In diameter and 2ft. High. On the south side, where the berm is absent, the slope of the upper mound runs into the lower. The Berm is 10ft. Wide at most, while the ditch is 15ft. Wide and up to 2.5ft. Deep, disturbed by solution hollows <2>. Ordnance Survey field investigation in 1980 also recorded it as a bell barrow, the mound being 23 meters in diameter. <3>

It is also visible on aerial photographs <6>, shown as a circular earthwork mound surrounded by an outer ditch, approximately 30.9 metres in diameter. It was digitally plotted during the South Dorset Ridgeway Mapping Project.

A cluster of three barrows lies on a knoll above a steep west slope below and about 500 yds east north east of Black Down. They are clearly visible from the North.

<1> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 157, 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, 471 (Monograph). SDO150.

<3> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 07-APR-1980 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<4> Papworth, M, 1983, The South Dorset Ridgeway Project: condition and management survey, SDR 219 (Index). SDO12304.

Diameter of mound 23.0m, ht. 3.7m with ditch 4.0m wide on N & NE sides only. Berm 2.0m wide visible on all except SE side. In arable but not ploughed. Ditch faint and mound possibly ploughed at same time. 1/3/C

<5> Wessex Archaeology, 2011, South Dorset Ridgeway Barrow Survey 2010 (Unpublished document). SDO12407.

<6> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1824 3297-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11895.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1175471 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 30 2022 3:59PM