Monument record MDO44837 - Round barrow near Woodyates Inn, Pentridge

A barrow near Woodyates Inn excavated in or before 1843 by a Mr W Chaffers. It contained what appears to have been a primary Saxon inhumation, accompanied by an iron dagger and another unidentified object, possibly a spearhead. The grave goods suggest a late 5th-early 8th century date for the burial. Chaffers dug into several barrows in the vicinity of Woodyates Inn, though none of the known barrows can be positively identified with those he excavated. Several contained pottery vessels, but no more detail is recorded.

A barrow 'near Woodyates Inn' (SU 0219) opened circa 1842 by W. Chaffers, remains unlocated. It contained what was probably a primary inhumation of the pagan Saxon period, placed east-west in a chalk-cut grave and accompanied by an iron dagger and an unidentified iron object. <2-4>

Only a brief note on Chaffers' diggings was published in Archaeologia (and reprinted later by Warne). The full text is as follows: "12th Jan. 1843. W. Chaffers, Junr, Esq. communicated through Charles Roach Smith, Esq. a short Account of the opening of some Barrows in the neighbourhood of Woodyates Inn in Dorsetshire, in one of which a clay cist was discovered, containing a human skeleton, with an iron weapon, much corroded, lying by its side. The urns found in several of these barrows were formed of coarse earth of different colours and appeared to have been merely dried in the sun." This account suggests that the inhumation, of Saxon date, was primary and therefore the mound was of Early Medieval rather than prehistoric origin. However, neither this barrow, nor any of the others dug into by Chaffers, can be positively identified with any of the known barrows in the vicinity of Woodyates Inn. <1-4>

The grave goods which comprise an iron dagger and a possible iron spearhead suggest a late 5th to early 8th century date. <5>

<1> Warne, C, 1866, The Celtic Tumuli of Dorset (1866) (Monograph). SWX8166.

<2> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 123 (Monograph). SDO132.

<3> Meaney, A L, 1964, A Gazetteer of Early Anglo-Saxon burial sites, 266 (Bibliographic reference). SWX4310.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1975, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume V (East), 57 (Monograph). SDO129.

‘'The third barrow opened by Colt Hoare lay 'nearer to Woodyates Inn' and also contained pagan Saxon objects. In the mound, which was surrounded by large sarsen stones, were a small hook, a buckle and a clench bolt, all of iron, and an ivory bracelet; beneath was an extended female skeleton near the head of which lay two further clench bolts, two beads of blue glass and one of jet, and a small lozenge-shaped gold pendant, apparently ornamented in cloisonné enamel (Hoare, loc. cit., 235, Pl. xxxii; Meaney, Gazetteer, 82). Another barrow 'near Woodyates Inn', opened c. 1842 by W. Chaffers, remains unlocated and may be in Hampshire; it contained what was probably a primary inhumation, placed E.–W. in a chalk-cut grave and accompanied by an iron dagger and an unidentified iron object (Arch., XXX (1844), 547; Warne, C.T.D., Pt. 3, No. 47).’

<4.1> Society of Antiquaries of London, 1844, Archaeologia 30, 547 (Serial). SDO18881.

<5> Cherryson, A K, 2006, Gazetteer of Early Medieval Sites, 33 (Unpublished document). SDO17464.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 213612 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 30 2024 4:46PM