Monument record MDO4961 - Bowl barrow, one of the Telegraph Clump Group, Tarrant Hinton

Severly damaged by digging. Diameter; 40ft., height; 2ft. The barrow is visible as an earthwork on an aerial photograph dated 1928 and is still visible on current Environment Agency lidar imagery. It was digitally plotted from these sources during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM project.

Telegraph Clump Group comprises eight barrows together with Long Barrow (MDO4954). It is possible that some, together with neighbouring barrows in Tarrant Launceston, were opened in the 19th century. W. Shipp opened a barrow near the Telegraph' which contained a human leg-bone beneath a large cairn J.H. Austen opened two barrows in the same area; in one he found a primary cremation in a cist, in the other he found nothing. In 1840 Austen opened another barrow 'near Race Course', which contained a primary crouched interment with a long-necked beaker.

'D'. Bowl 92160937 severely damaged by digging; diam.about 40 ft., ht. 2 ft. <1>

Bronze Age round barrow cemetery at Telegraph Clump on Blandford Race Down. The cemetery includes seven barrows, comprising a cluster of five with two outliers to the north. They have been ploughed in the past but most survive as earthworks, up to maximum of 0.5 metres in height. Some of the barrows may have been excavated in the 19th century. Finds included a primary cremation within a cist and a primary burial with a Beaker. One of the northern barrows overlies the lynchet of a field system which encompasses the cemetery and extends north. It has been much reduced by ploughing over time and is now visible mainly on aerial photographs. <4>

The barrow is visible as an earthwork on an aerial photograph dated 1928 and is still visible on current Environment Agency lidar imagery <5-6>. In 1928 the feature comprised a 10m in diameter central mound with a 5m wide outer ditch. The barrow is situated within an area of First/Second World War practice trenches <5,7> and these may have caused some spread and damage to the monument.

The feature was digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM project.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1972, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North), 100-101 (Monograph). SDO99.

'Telegraph Clump Group comprises eight barrows (27-34), together with long barrow (23), all over 360 ft. above O.D., on and near the summit of a Chalk ridge. Barrows (29-32) lie close together in a line immediately W. of (23); the others are more scattered. It is possible that some of these barrows, together with neighbouring barrows in Tarrant Launceston, were opened in the 19th century. W. Shipp opened a barrow 'near the Telegraph' which contained a human leg-bone beneath a large cairn (C.T.D., Pt. 2, no. 5). J.H.Austen opened two barrows in the same area; in one he found a primary cremation in a cist, in the other he found nothing (Ibid., nos. 25 and 26). In 1840 Austen opened another barrow 'near the Race Course', which contained a primary crouched interment with a long-necked beaker (Ibid., no. 23 and Pl. VII, no. 1) … (30) Bowl (92160937), severely damaged by digging; diam. about 40 ft., ht. 2 ft.'

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 1:10,000 scale map, 1976 (Map). SDO17396.

(Centred ST 922094) Tumuli (NR) (ST 91950935) Tumulus (NR)

<3> Cox, P W and Chandler, J, 1995, A Preliminary Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Works at Blandford Army Camp, Dorset: New Northern Perimeter Fence and Playing Fields, Site 5 (Unpublished document). SDO13904.

<4> English Heritage, Scheduling Amendment, 15-JUL-2003 (Scheduling record). SDO17245.

<5> Crawford, O G S, 17-JUL-1928, CCC 8837/420 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18887.

<6> Environment Agency, 16-NOV-2021, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO18034.

<7> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 RS 4008 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18888.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 209336 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 25 2024 4:22PM