Find Spot record MDO47632 - Bronze Age axehead, Winterbourne Steepleton

A.B.A.axe head; of very early type, length 6 1/2", width 1 1/2", splaying out to 4" at the circular cutting edge;
greatest thickness 3/8". Both faces are grooved, probably as ornament, and the sides have lozenge shaped facets. Very slight flanges (1).

An M.B.A. flanged axe; Accession number 1892.30.1 (2).

This axe was presented to the Dorset County Museum by the executors of the Rev. W. Cornish. It was found on the glebeland of Winterbourne Steepleton (3).

No further information was obtained, except that the Rector`s wife knew there was now no glebeland in the village. The whereabouts of tithe maps could not be ascertained. (4)

The Glebe land is not shown on the tithe map, not listed in the tithe apportionment; both were inspected. It appeared from an examination of the above documents that the glebe may have existed as isolated acres in various fields (5)

<1> Dorset County Museum, Dorset County Museum Accessions Book, June 8th 1917 (Unpublished document). SWX1315.

‘A Late Bronze Age palstave, Winterborne Steepleton. This bronze palstave was given to the Museum in 1948 by Mr. J. J. Herring of Melbury Osmond, who has now verified as nearly as possible the spot where he found it, some 35 years ago, when his father was ploughing the field (about SY 625907) on the S.E. slope of Pound Hill, in which are the remains of a long-barrow and two round-barrows. Details are as follows:- D.C.M. 1948.14.2. Length 5¾ ins.; one side loop; stop-ridge of ‘ledge’ form, slightly U-curved; slight central ridge for two-thirds of the way down the blade which is slightly dished on either side of the ridge; blade expansion slightly concave-sided; hafting end and cutting edge slightly damaged, the latter with some recent file-marks.’

<2> Display Card Dorset County Museum (Graphic material). SWX1314.

<3> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1918, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club, xxxvi (Serial). SDO27.

<4> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 31-MAR-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<5> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F2 JR 04-APR-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 452293 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 28 2023 5:01PM