Monument record MDO41 - Barrow to the north-east of Merry Hill Barn, Abbotsbury

A small mound visible on aerial photographs. Thought most likely to be a Bronze Age round barrow, thought it might also be a clearance cairn, or possibly be natural in origin.

SY 60588441. Situated on a narrow grass covered ridge is a small stony mound. The ground slopes down sharply on the north side of the mound. Its diameter is 14.0m; its height is 0.5m on the south side, 0.4m on the west, and 1.0m on the east. There is no visible ditch. The mound is possibly a bowl barrow, although the possibility of an agricultral stone dump cannot be discounted completely. <1>

SY 60598442. Barrow located and surveyed on field document. <2>

SY 60598441. The mound is as described by authority 1. Its position on the very summit of a narrow ridge favours its classification as a barrow, but its amorphous appearance does not entirely support this. Re-surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD. <3>

A small stony mound, possibly the site of a round barrow or clearance cairn, is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs <4>, 335m to the north-east of Merry Hill Barn. The feature, which may alternatively be of natural origin, was digitally plotted during the South Dorset Ridgeway Mapping Project.

<1> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 15-APR-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Large Scale/Small Scale Map Reviser's comments, S 25" (A E Finn Surveyor 4.2.59) (Verbal communication). SDO19451.

<3> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F2 JGB 24-APR-80 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<4> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1824 3322-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12115.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 452768 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 6 2023 2:28PM