Monument record MDO47869 - Knowlton Circles barrow cemetery, Woodlands

Group of round barrows, together forming a round barrow cemetery, and two associated enclosures. The barrow group lies north east of a larger complex of monuments known as the Knowlton Circles. The barrow cemetery includes 20 round barrows which have been reduced by ploughing, but survive as ring ditches. The two ditched enclosures have also been reduced by ploughing. One lies within the barrow group, while the other is located to the north east of it. The barrows and enclosures are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs and have been mapped by EH's Knowlton Circles Project.

Barrows (50-65), lie N.E. of the circles. Four barrows and an
enclosure in WIMBORNE ST. GILES (39-43) form part of this sub-group.
All have been levelled by ploughing and the dimensions given below
are approximate (Plate 79).

(50) Barrow (02961049); diam. 30 ft.
(51) Barrow (02951049); diam. 30 ft.
(52) Barrow (02941050); diam. 40 ft.
(53) Barrow (02931053); diam. 80 ft.
(54) Barrow (03011053); diam. 80 ft.
(55) Barrow (02991053), adjoins an enclosure (23) on the S.E., diam. 30 ft.
(56) Barrow (02951059); diam. 40 ft.
(57) Barrow (02881064); daim. 40 ft.
(58) Barrow (02961065); diam. 40 ft.
(59) Barrow (02931064); diam. 40 ft.
(60) Barrow (02951063); diam. 50 ft.
(61) Barrow (02941066); diam. 25 ft.
(62) Barrow (02951068); diam. 20 ft.
(63) Barrow (02961065); diam. 35 ft.
(64) Barrow (02981064); diam. 40 ft.
(65) Barrow (03041061); diam. 80 ft.

Remains of at least four barrows and a small enclosure, part of the Knowlton Circles Group (WOODLANDS (29-65)), occur just within the parish and S. of St. Giles's Park (Plate 79). They appear as crop-marks on oblique air photographs (C.U.A.P., AQ 17, 20, 23) which do not permit the close estimate of dimensions.

(39) Barrow (02971072), small.
(40) Barrow (03031074).
(41) Barrow (03041078), large.
(42) Barrow (03071067), small.
(43) Enclosure (03101075), rhomboidal, 80 ft. by 60 ft., with a probable entrance at the N.W. corner.

(23) ENCLOSURE (02981055) lies among barrows (50-65), NE. of Knowlton Circles, and is almost certainly associated with them. It has been levelled by ploughing but it appears on an air photograph (C.U.A.P., AQ 20) (Plate 79) as a sub-rectangular ditched feature, about 80 ft. by 60 ft., with an entrance at the E. corner. (1)

An additional circle was seen in a pipe trench by N.H Field less than 100ft ESE of RCHM Barrow (56) at SU 02901056. (2)

SU 03001064. Group of round barrows, together forming a round barrow cemetery, and two associated enclosures. The barrow group lies north east of a larger complex of monuments known as the Knowlton Circles. The barrow cemetery includes 20 round barrows which have been reduced by ploughing, but survive as ring ditches. The two ditched enclosures have also been reduced by ploughing. One lies within the barrow group, while the other is located to the north east of it. Scheduled. (4)

The round barrows described by authorities 1-4 are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs, and have been mapped by EH's Knowlton Circles Project. Aerial photographic evidence allowed the dimensions and locations of most of the barrows to be recorded more accurately than in authority 1, and provided additional information for some of the barrows:
(53) SU 0291 1055. Traces of a mound within a circular ditch 25.6m in diameter.
(54) SU 0300 1052. Defined by a single circular ditch 27.2m in diameter.
(62) No barrow was recorded at the location given in authority 1.
(64) The location given in authority 1 is the same as that given for barrow 58, a small barrow which has been recorded separately (SU 01 SW 190).
(39) SU 0296 1072. Defined by a single circular ditch 16.2m in diameter.
(40) No barrow was recorded at the location given in authority 1.
(41) SU 0302 1077. Defined by a single sub-circular ditch 28.4m in diameter. An off-centre pit is visible within the interior of the ditch.
(42) SU 0305 1068. A small rectangular enclosure, possibly a square barrow, appears at the location given for this barrow, and has been recorded separately as SU 01 SW 194.

Barrows 50-52 and 55-61 are very small, less than 15m in diameter and, with several additional similar barrows, have been recorded separately (SU 01 SW 190). The enclosures described as features 23 and 43 in authority 1 have also been recorded separately (SU 01 SW 193, SU 01 SW 195 ). (5-8)

Barrows (39-49) lie N. of the South Circle and around the Centre Circle (cf. plan p. 114).

(39) Barrow (02301013), levelled by ploughing, has two concentric ditches; overall diam. About 100 ft.
(40) Barrow (02291023), immediately S.W. of Lumber Lane, has been levelled by ploughing; diam. About 70 ft.
(41) Barrow (02311031); diam. About 55 ft.
(42) Bowl (02401019); diam. 75 ft., ht. 1 1/2 ft.
(43) Barrow (02591015), flattened by ploughing; diam. About 40 ft.
(44) Barrow (02621010), levelled by ploughing; diam. About 45 ft.
(45) Barrow (02651011), levelled by ploughing; diam. About 45 ft.
(47) Barrow (02661026), is crossed on the E. side by the road from Cranborne to Wimborne Minster; diam. About 60 ft.
(48) Barrow (02421036), flattened by ploughing, has two concentric ditches; diam. Overall about 80 ft.
(49) Barrow (02511042), levelled by ploughing; diam. About 90 ft. (2)


The barrows described by authority <1> have been mapped from aerial photographs been mapped by EH's Knowlton Circles Project. It was possible, during that survey, to identify the location and details of the barrows with greater accuracy:
(39) SU 0232 1014. Defined by two concentric ditches; the outer ditch is 28m in diameter, the inner ditch is 17.5m in diameter, and there is a central pit.
(40) SU 0228 1022. Defined by a single circular ditch 27.1m in diameter, with traces of a central mound 13.5m in diameter.
(41) SU 0230 1031. Defined by a single circular ditch 17.3m in diameter.
(42) SU 0239 1018. A central mound surrounded by three ditches; the outer ditch is 44m in diameter, the middle ditch 34.7m in diameter, the inner ditch and mound 24.9m in diameter.
(43) This mound was not identified.
(44) SU 0261 1009. Defined by a single circular ditch 16.7m in diameter.
(45) SU 0265 1011. Defined by a single circular ditch 13.7m in diameter.
(47) SU 0265 1025. Defined by three ditches; the outer ditch 27.8m in diameter, the middle ditch 20.8m in diameter, the inner ditch 16.2m in diameter.
(48) SU 0240 1037. Defined by two concentric ditches; the outer ditch is 24m in diameter, the inner ditch is 12.2m in diameter.
(49) SU 0251 1041. Defined by a single circular ditch 33.6m in diameter, with traces of an off-centre oval mound 14.3m x 10.7m. <11-12>

The Knowlton Circles Group consists of 35 known barrows including The Great Barrow. Most only appear as cropmarks and can be seen on aerial photographs (CUAP AQ 17, 20, 23; AQY 101, AQ 22: NMR, SU 0209/4, SU 0309/1, ST 9906/2). It is likely there are other barrows in the area as yet undiscovered. The barrows can be placed into three groups on the basis of geographical location; located south and south west of the South Circle, north of the South Circle and around the Centre Circle, and north east of Knowlton Circles. <1>

Since 1975 there has been a 46% increase in the number of barrows identified within the vincinity of Knowlton Circles. These barrows demonstrate clustering around a presumed religious centre, and indicate a break in the tradition originally marked by long barrows. <14>

The barrows described in this record are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs, and have been mapped by EH's Knowlton Circles Project. They are described in detail in separate records (SU 01 SW 43, SU 01 SW 178, SU 01 SW 179). <15>

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1975, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume V (East), 115-116 (Monograph). SDO129.

<2> Grinsell, L V, 1982, Dorset Barrows Supplement, 57 (Monograph). SWX1703.

<3> Field, N H, 1963, Discoveries at the Knowlton Circles, Dorset. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 117-124 (Article in serial). SDO20572.

<4> English Heritage, Scheduled Monument Notification, 05-Jul-02 (Scheduling record). SDO17381.

<5> Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography, 18-JUN-1948, CUCAP AQ19 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18732.

<6> National Monuments Record, 22-APR-1954, NMR SU 0210/35 (CUCAP NN 6) (Aerial Photograph). SDO18738.

<7> John Boyden, 02-JUL-1976, JRB 3097/006 (SU0210/39) (Aerial Photograph). SDO15710.

<8> National Monuments Record, 13-JUL-1995, NMR SU 0310/10 (NMR 15314/21) (Aerial Photograph). SDO18729.

<9> Stoertz, Cathy, 2005, Knowlton Circles Project, Dorset: report on the aerial photographic transcription and analysis (Monograph). SDO19585.

<10> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1409863 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<11> 26-JUN-1970, NMR SU 0210/6-7 (NMR 290/107-8) (Aerial Photograph). SDO20574.

<12> 13-JUL-1995, NMR SU 0210/72, 74, 78 (NMR15314/09,11,15) (Aerial Photograph). SDO20575.

<13> National Record of the Historic Environment, 213816 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<14> Bowen, H C, 1990, The Archaeology of Bokerley Dyke, 79 (Monograph). SWX800.

<15> RCHME/EH/HE Aerial Photographers comment, English Heritage: Knowlton Circles, Dorset (Unpublished document). SDO20285.

<16> National Record of the Historic Environment, 621849 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 12 2024 10:34AM