Monument record MDO47789 - Bowl barrow, Winterborne St Martin

A bowl barrow excavated in 1839 by Sydenham and Warne. No dimensions were published by either. At the core of the mound was a cairn of flints. Over this were layers of earth and flints, with some ashes, charcoal and chalk. The exterior of the mound was covered by a thin layer of flints. At the top of the mound and immediately below this flint layer was an extended inhumation (Saxon?). Numerous potsherds in the vicinity of this burial were interpreted as representing an earlier deposit disturbed by the inhumation. Further into the mound was an inverted biconical urn covering a cremation. Further into the mound again, and just above the flint cairn, was a (crouched?) child inhumation with a food vessel. The flint cairn covered a shallow pit cut 7 inches into the chalk, but measuring 7 feet by 4 feet, and containing an inhumation with pottery vessel (unidentified) filled with chalk rubble and an antler. Identifying this barrow on the ground has proved difficult. Neither Sydenham nor Warne provided enough locational detail to identify it with confidence.

Grinsell assumed it to be one of the Rew Group (SY 69 SW 49), whereas RCHME suggested it was probably one of their "Third Milestone Group" (SY 69 SW 51). The latter is followed here. See those records and their associated monuments for additional sources and information. With regard to numbering schemes, Grinsell lists it as Winterborne St Martin 5b, although he suggests it should be identified with one of his Winterborne St Martin 1-5. In the RCHME scheme, it is one of the barrows Winterborne St Martin 114-118, some of which are listed by Grinsell as his numbers 6-8. [NB the excavation described above was formerly recorded as part of SY 69 SW 72. See that record for additional sources and information]. <>

<1> Sydenham, J, 1844, An account of the opening of some barrows in south Dorsetshire; Archaeologia 30, 327-338 (Article in serial). SDO17222.

<2> Warne, C, 1866, The Celtic Tumuli of Dorset (1866), 41-2, mopr 26 (Monograph). SWX8166.

<3> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 151 (Monograph). SDO132.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 470 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘REW GROUP (SY 69 SW). Five, possibly seven barrows, including one probable disc barrow, on summit of hill in the extreme N.W. of the parish. Two were probably excavated by Sydenham: his no. 1 contained two primary contracted inhumations and a cremation at bottom of grave beneath a flint cairn. In the cairn was an extended child inhumation with small vessel (in D.C.M.), and at the top was an inurned cremation. On S. of the mound was a cremation in a biconical urn with remains probably of a necklace consisting of cylindrical bone bead, faience quoit-bead, faience star-bead and cowrie shell. Nearby was a fourth inurned cremation, and a fifth cremation lay near the surface with a fragmentary urn. In the top of mound was extended child inhumation (Archaeologia XXX (1844), 329–31; C.T.D., tovp, no. 70; Abercromby II, 42; Ant. J. XIII (1933), 448; Butler and Smith (1956), 35). A barrow nearby contained a cremation and an extended inhumation (C.T.D., tovp, no. 71)'

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1267590 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2024 7:56AM