Monument record MDO5267 - Bowl barrow on west end of Muston Down, Winterborne Kingston

One of a group of bowl barrows on a spur, and situated within a prehistoric field system. This monument lies on a slight south west slope, and in 1970 was reported as levelled by ploughing, having previously been recorded as 24 feet in diameter with a mound less than a foot high. Aerial photographs taken in 1947 show the ditch of this barrow adjoining the ditch of a neighbouring barrow.

Group of three bowl barrows of chalky construction, and one possible barrow. All are now ditchless, and under the plough.

B(ST 86530052) Low mound of earth construcion. Possibly a barrow, but it may be a spoil heap from 'A'.

In 1940-41 a skeleton was ploughed out from one of the mounds, probably 'D', by C F Carter. Many stones have been removed from this barrow group. <2>

Group of round barrows: B-Bowl barrow adjoining 'A' has been destroyed by ploughing, but air photographs show its ditch impinging on that of barrow 'A'. <3>

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1902 (Map). SWX1540.

(Centred ST 86550055) Tumuli (NR) (four shown)

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 20/11/1954 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<2.1> Mr Gray, Mr Gray (farm worker) Winterborne Kingston (Verbal communication). SDO20270.

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

<4> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 304 (Monograph). SDO136.

‘These monuments lie in the N. and W. of the parish; most of them have been damaged, some severely so, by ploughing. … Five barrows (32–6) lie on a large spur running N.-S. which forms the W. part of Muston Down. Monument (32) is at 350 ft. O.D. on the spine of the spur; the others are further N. and just W. of the spur top, at over 400 ft. O.D.; they lie in an area of fragmentary 'Celtic' field remains (Group (66)), and have been heavily ploughed. … (34) Bowl (86530052) adjoins (33) on the N.W. but has now been completely destroyed by ploughing. Air photographs (R.A.F. CPE/UK 1934: 3123–4) clearly show the ditch of this barrow impinging on that of (33). Before total destruction the mound was recorded as 24 ft. in diam. and less than 1 ft. high.’

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 205678 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 10 2023 10:58AM