Monument record MDO43398 - Barrow, Cheselbourne

Two cinerary urns, "encircling" a large urn which was destroyed, were found by C.Hall in "Rough Barrow on Chiselbourne Common". One measured 4ins. high, 4 1/4ins. diam., 13ins. circum. at bosses, and 10ins. circum. at base. The other was 6ins. high, 16ins. circum. round the middle. and 13ins. at base.
It was full of small bird's bones. [Illustration shows two globular urns of Deverel-Rimbury type.] <1>

In rather small barrow on Cheselbourne Down, opened by C.Hall, were discovered two urns placed in cists cut in the chalk. They were both plain. In one was found many small bones, possibly of birds. "Immediately beneath the soil on the summit, a third brass of Diocletian was found". <2>

The Rough Barrow has vanished. It is mentioned in a charter granted by Cnut in 1019A.D., and stood either on the short eastern boundary of Cheselbourne parish or at Gallows Corner at the south-east angle of the parish. <3>

[The authorities, summarised below, refer to the barrow but do not add any essential information.] Brief account obviously taken from 2. <4>

Listed with references to 1, 2, and 3. <5>

No trace of this barrow was found either at Gallows Corner (ST 78700053) or along the eastern boundary of the parish between Coombe Wood (ST 78090195) and Gallows Corner. No crop marks are visible on AP.CPE/UK/1974/4358. <6>

<1> Wools, C, 1839, The Barrow Diggers. A dialogue in imitation of the Grave Diggers in Hamlet., 92 (Monograph). SWX2974.

<2> Warne, C, 1866, The Celtic Tumuli of Dorset (1866), 74 (Monograph). SWX8166.

<3> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1935, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1934, 116 (Serial). SDO37.

<4> Hutchins, J, 1873, The history and antiquities of the County of Dorset. Volume 4. 3rd edition, 352-3 (Monograph). SDO10245.

<5> Grinsell, L V, 1935-54, Dorset Barrows 1935-54 Manuscript (Unpublished document). SWX1556.

<6> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 30-AUG-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 201892 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 11 2022 9:07AM