Monument record MDO47807 - Bowl barrow, Winterbourne Steepleton

Three Bronze Age bowl barrows described as being located on a slight eminence on the east side of the road from Winterbourne Steepleton to Abbotsbury were excavated by antiquarians Warne, Sydenham and Hall in 1840. The exact location of these barrows is not known.

Three barrows at (Winterbourne) Steepleton situated "..... on a slight eminence on the east side of the road to Abbotsbury ....." and one mile west of the Third milestone barrow group excavations (see SY 29 SW 72) were excavated by Warne, Sydenham and Hall in 1840. (i) A barrow (Sydenham's No 4; Warne No 31) consisted mainly of a compact flint cairn beneath which was a centrally placed upright urn containing cremation. Resting upon the cremation deposit was an unburnt human skull. Not far from this barrow, another had been opened or scraped out, leaving portions of a large urn scattered around. (ii) A barrow, 5ft high (Sydenham's No 6; Warne No 32) situated "a short distance" from the last was excavated from the eastern side.

Towards the centre a large flat stone covered a chalk-cut pit, in which was a barrel shaped urn containing cremated bones, which crumbled on removal. (iii) "Another barrow near the last contained an urnal interment of burnt bones, and a skeleton extended at length" (Sydenham's no 5 = Warne no 71 - incorrectly located). Grinsell and RCHM (Authy 3 and 4)both consider that the excavated barrows were on North Hill and probably corresponded with 'A'-SY 62959001 and 'B'-SY 63028998 see SY 68 NW 2. (The pound Hill group of barrows, with evidence of excavation, (see SY 69 SW 19) may also be a possibility (ie one mile west of Third-milestone group) although situated on the west side of the Abbotsbury road). (1-4)

<1> Sydenham, J, 1844, An account of the opening of some barrows in south Dorsetshire; Archaeologia 30, 331-2 (Article in serial). SDO17222.

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

<3> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 155-6 (Monograph). SDO132.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 453807 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 473 (Monograph). SDO150.

Record last edited

Feb 23 2024 1:20PM