Monument record MDO385 - Long barrow in Seven Barrow Plantation, Bradford Peverell

A long barrow or small bank barrow, one of a group of at least twelve barrows in the plantation. In 1952 this monument was described as an earthwork about 210 feet long with traces of a ditch on both sides. The mound was 37 feet wide and 3¾ feet high at its widest point. A mound at the southern end has been interpreted as a probable round barrow.

A group of barrows and mounds in Seven Barrow Plantation. <2>

'A' - (SY 64799247). A long barrow or small bank barrow, about 210ft long by 37ft wide and 3.75ft high with traces of side ditches, orientated north-north-east/south-south-west. (RCHM No 12a; Grinsell's Bradford Peverell long barrow IV). <3>

SY 647923; SY 648924. Bradford Peverell long barrows 3 and 4 listed by Ashbee. <5>

An unusual barrow group situated near the crest of a broad south-west spur. The undergrowth which formerly obscured the group and limited investigation has been removed and the north-west half of the area completely cleared of woodland. This part is regularly used as a cattle pen with the consequence that severe damage is incurred by their trampling, especially to the lower monuments. See plan and ground photographs.

'A': SY 64799246. A long mound oriented NE to SW, 50.0 metres long and with parallel sides, 12.0 metres wide overall. It is almost imperceptible at the north-east end due to damage, (see ground photograph) and rises gradually to a height of 1.2 metres at the south-west end where it is protected by woodland. It is here that a south-east side ditch, 4.0 metres wide and 0.2 metres deep, can still be detected. The south-west end of the mound abuts round barrow 'B' from which position it is aligned upon barrow 'M'. There is now a gap of 10.0 metres, but since the 1929 OS 25" shows a bridle road crossing at this point it seems possible that the long barrow originally reached the base of 'M', the three mounds together forming a dumb-bell type long barrow.
Barrows surveyed at 1:2500 on M.S.D. <6>

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 25 inch scale map, 1929 (Map). SDO18020.

(Centred SY 647924) Tumuli (NR) (fifteen shown)

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 35-36 (Monograph). SDO97.

‘(12) BARROWS AND MOUNDS in Seven Barrow Plantation, about ¾ m. S.W. of the church, are twelve in number, much overgrown. (a) a long barrow or small bank barrow (about 30° mag.), near the N.E. corner of the plantation, is about 210 ft. long by 37 ft. wide and 3¾ ft. high, with traces of a ditch on each side; at its southern extremity is a mound, probably a bowl barrow, about 50 ft. in diam. and 3½ ft. high; …’

<3> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 13-SEP-54 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<4> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 35-6 (Monograph). SDO132.

<5> Ashbee, P, 1970, The Earthen Long Barrow in Britain, 161 (Monograph). SDO16712.

<6> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F2 NVQ 17-MAR-81 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<7> Lovell, J, 1997, 33KV Mains Replacement, Bradford Peverell, Dorset. Archaeological Watching Brief (Unpublished document). SDO12343.

<8> Bartlett, A, 2013, Seven Barrow Plantation, Penn Hill, Bradford Peverell, West Dorset. Report on Archaeological Geophysical Survey 2013 (Unpublished document). SDO16515.

<9> National Record of the Historic Environment, 453739 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 15 2024 10:15AM