Monument record MDO4327 - Bowl barrow on Breeze Hill, Melbury Abbas

Low remains of a Bronze Age bowl barrow with traces of surrounding ditch visible. In 1972 this monument was recorded as having a diameter of approximately 30 feet and a mound about 1 foot high. One of a dispersed group of barrows on Breeze Hill. The record for this monument has been enhanced with support from Wessex Water.

The monument includes the levelled remains of a Bronze Age ditched bowl barrow on Breeze Hill, Melbury Down. The barrow mound was previously recorded as being c.11m in diameter. Surrounding this and surviving as a buried feature c.2m wide is the barrow ditch from which was quarried material to construct the mound.

Two bowl barrows: 'B' - Diameter 10 paces and height 1ft. Slightly hollow centre. Under grass 1953. <2>

'B' - This bowl barrow is visible as a mount 11.0m. In diameter and 0.1m. High. There is no visible ditch. It was grass and stubble covered when investigated. <3>

'B' - (11) - ST 89702016. Bowl barrow, 30ft diameter and lft. High with slight disturbance at the centre. <5>

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1930 (Map). SWX1540.

('A' ST 89892018 ; 'B' ST 89702015) Tumulus (NR) (Twice)

<2> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 14-JUN-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<2.1> Grinsell, L V, Dorset Barrows (Unpublished MSs) (Unpublished document). SWX2678.

<3> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F2 NVQ 24-JAN-56 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<4> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 119 (Monograph). SDO132.

<5> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1972, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North), 48 (Monograph). SDO99.

'(11) Bowl (89702016), on Breeze Hill, lies just below the 800 ft. contour; diam. 30 ft., ht. 1 ft. Traces of a ditch.'

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 206533 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 11 2024 11:37AM