Monument record MDO498 - Bank barrow east of Culliford Tree, Broadmayne

An earthwork mound around 100 metres long, interpreted as a Neolithic bank barrow, located on top of the chalk ridge a short distance east of Culliford Tree. It appears to have a round barrow at each end, and traces of the ditch can be seen.

Bank Barrow (SY 70288533) identified by O.G.S. Crawford. It lies on the summit of the Upper Chalk ridge, about 470ft above O.D, with the ground falling from it to N, NE and S. On a bearing of 102 , it is 180.0m long, with flattened top and steep sides; the W and E ends are respectively 49ft and 57ft wide, and 5.5ft and 7ft high above the bottom of the ditch on the S. The ditch here is continuous and about 25ft wide, but on the N constant ploughing has obscured all but a slight depression except adjacent to a round barrow (SY 78 NW 9B), where a drop of 9ft below the crest of the bank barrow apparently represents the original ditch. Another round barrow (SY 78 NW 9A) seems deliberately placed over the W end of the bank barrow, and its ditch on the S, where undisturbed, continues the flanking ditch the latter. At the E end the bank barrow has been partly destroyed, but it is virtually certain that it never continued to the S of the modern road. <1> <3>

The bank barrow is generally as described by RCHM (2) and well-preserved except for minor mutilations. Its length is 180.0m, width 16.0m and height above the ditch 2.0m. The ditch is 3.5m wide, and can be traced on the north side for a short distance at both the west and east ends. Re-surveyed at 1:2500 on M.S.D. <4>

A probable Neolithic bank barrow at Broadmayne, located on top of the chalk ridge a short distance east of Culliford Tree. First noted by OGS Crawford in 1938, it is orientated east-southeast - west-northwest and measures circa 180 metres in length. Circa 16 meres wide, it features steep sides and a flattened top, its height being circa 2 metres. The surrounding ditch is continuous, but obscured in places by ploughing, and measuring up to 3.5 metres wide. A round barrow (SY 78 NW 9) overlies the western end of the bank barrow. The barrow forms part of a dispersed group of barrows (see SY 78 NW 9 and associated records) broadly focused on the bank barrow, a nearby long barrow (SY 68 NE 72) and the ridgeway.The eastern end of the bank barrow has been truncated by the modern road, but does not appear to have extended beyond this road. There is no record of any excavation being undertaken on the bank barrow. Listed by Grinsell as Broadmayne I (under long barrows) and RCHME as Broadmayne 19. Woodward (1991) discusses the results of fieldwalking in the area as well as a general discussion of the barrow groups of the Dorset Ridgeway. <6-7>

<1> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 77 (Monograph). SDO132.

‘Probable ‘bank-barrow’ with round barrow at each end. Antiquity, xii, 229.’

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 70288533) Bank Barrow (NR)

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

‘(19) BANK BARROW (SY 78 NW; 70288533; Fig. p. 458, Plate 209), at the extreme S.W. of the parish was, identified by O. G. S. Crawford (Antiquity XII (1938), 229). It lies at the S.E. end of the Ridgeway Barrow Group (see p. 426), on the summit of the Upper Chalk ridge, about 470 ft. above O.D., with the ground falling from it to N., N.E. and S.
On a bearing of 102°, it is at least 600 ft. long, with flattened top and steep sides; the W. and E. ends are respectively 49 ft. and 57 ft. wide, and 5½ ft. and 7 ft. high above the bottom of the ditch on the S. The ditch here is continuous and about 25 ft. wide, but on the N. constant ploughing has obscured all but a slight depression except adjacent to a round barrow, Broadmayne (21), where a drop of 9 ft. below the crest of the bank barrow apparently represents the original ditch. Another round barrow, Broadmayne (20), seems deliberately placed over the W. end of the bank barrow, and its ditch on the S., where undisturbed, continues the flanking ditch of the latter. At the E. end the bank barrow has been partly destroyed, but it is virtually certain that it never continued to the S. of the modern road. (See profile on map of Ridgeway Area, in pocket.)’

<4> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 12-NOV-79 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<5> Papworth, M, 1983, The South Dorset Ridgeway Project: condition and management survey, SDR598 (Index). SDO12304.

‘As described by RCHM. Situated in a regularly ploughed field in ley pasture to the N. South of the barrow the land seems to have been ploughed less frequently as the ditch on this side is still clear. The mound is covered in grass and clumps of gorse. There are areas of erosion and hollows on the N side. 1/2/B.’

<6> Bradley, R, 1984, The Bank Barrows and related monuments of Dorset in the light of recent field work; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 105, 15-20 (Article in serial). SDO14130.

<7> Woodward, Peter J, 1991, The South Dorset Ridgeway. Survey and Excavations 1977-84 (Monograph). SDO11947.

<8> McOmish, D and Tuck, C, 2001, Broadmayne Bank Barrow, Dorset (Unpublished document). SDO16432.

<9> Wessex Archaeology, 2011, South Dorset Ridgeway Barrow Survey 2010 (Unpublished document). SDO12407.

<10> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1824 3284-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDO10765.

<11> 22-APR-1954, NMR SY 7085/6-10 (Aerial Photograph). SDO10766.

<12> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS79/F38/12 (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW OF BANK BARROW WITH POSSIBLE ROUND BARROWS AT EITHER END

<13> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS79/F38/8 (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW ALONG BANK BARROW - 600 FEET LONG

<14> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS79/F38/9 (Index). SDO14738.

<15> National Record of the Historic Environment, 453950 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

VIEW OF BANK BARROW FROM SOUTH-EAST

Record last edited

Oct 25 2023 3:10PM