Monument record MDO5064 - Bowl barrow, one of the Launceston Down South Group, Tarrant Launceston

One of a group of at least thirteen round barrows on the southern part of Launceston Down. This barrow was excavated in 1938 by S and C M Piggott, who recorded this barrow as 35 feet in diameter and 1½ feet high. Although this barrow had been disturbed, probably by antiquarian investigation, they found a cremation under an inverted cinerary urn set in a shallow pit in the chalk. The barrow is no longer extant as an earthwork.

Round barrows between 200 ft. and 250 ft. above O.D., extend in an irregular line from W.to E. on the northwood-facing slope of a dry combe which falls E. to the Crichel brook. All were excavated in 1938 by S. and C.M Piggott; they are no longer visible on the ground.

An Early Bronze Age bowl barrow, part of a cemetery on Launceston Down excavated in 1938. The barrow is no longer extant as an earthwork. The mound was 1.6 feet high and 35 feet in diameter and comprised "earth and stones". The central part of the mound and the chalk beneath it appeared to have been disturbed by an unrecorded excavation. An oval pit beneath the mound and slightly off-centre contained no artefacts. A circular pit 8 feet from the edge of the mound was 1 foot deep and 1.5 feet in diameter and contained "black soil" plus an inverted pottery vessel covering the cremated remains of an individual estimated to have been 12 to 14 years old. <1-2> <4>

Visited by MPA in March 200, but since all are heavily denuded, not recommended for scheduling. <5>

<1> Society of Antiquaries of London, 1944, Archaeologia 90, Vol 90, p47-80 (Serial). SDO16830.

Piggott, S and CM. Excavation of Barrows on Crichel and Launceston Downs, Dorset. [Barrow 12]

<2> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 135 (Monograph). SDO132.

<3> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(ST 95501069:ST 95621064:ST 95881056) Tumuli (NR) (sites of) (NAT) (twice)

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1972, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North), 107 (Monograph). SDO99.

'The Launceston Down South Group comprises thirteen barrows (36-44); four of them lie in the neighbouring parish of Long Crichel (see Dorset V). They are between 200 ft. and 250 ft. above O.D., and extend in an irregular line from W. to E. on the northward-facing slope of a dry combe which falls E. to the Crichel brook. All these barrows were excavated in 1938 by S. and C.M. Piggott (Arch., XC (1944), 47-80); they are no longer visible on the ground and former dimensions, etc. are recorded. … (37) Bowl (95501069), disturbed in the past, yielded a cremation, probably primary, under an inverted cinerary urn in a shallow pit in the chalk; diam. 35 ft., ht. 1½ ft. (Piggott, 12).'

<5> English Heritage, English Heritage Alternative Action Report, SJ Lobb, MPPA, Mar-2000 (Scheduling record). SDO18279.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 210103 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1249073 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 23 2024 12:51PM