Monument record MDO5270 - Bowl barrow on west end of Muston Down, Winterborne Kingston

One of a group of five bowl barrows . In 1970 this monument was reported as being around 50 feet in diameter with a mound about 2½ feet high, and much reduced by ploughing. The barrow is visible as a plough-levelled round mound, 14m across, with external ring ditch on aerial photographs taken in 1998. It is visible as cropmarks and was digitally recorded during the Dorset Middle tour AIM.

Fragments of Bronze Age pottery collected from the south east side of the barrow. They are all body sherds between 12 and 15 mm wide. One fragment appears to represent a lug and another indicated that the urn had been decorated with finger tip impressions. <2>

A Bowl barrow (87130019) lies on a small spur on the E. side of Muston Down, at about 350 ft. O.D.; the ground falls away to the W. and S. Much ploughed. Diam. 50 ft., ht. 2 1/2 ft. B Bowl barrow (87150019), has been much ploughed. Diam. 50 ft., ht. 2 ft. <2-3>

The barrow is visible as a plough-levelled round mound, 14m across, with external ring ditch on aerial photographs taken in 1998 <6>. It is visible as cropmarks and was digitally recorded during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1968 (Map). SWX1540.

(Centred ST 871001) Tumuli

<2> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 305 (Monograph). SDO136.

‘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. … (37) Bowl (87130019) lies on a small spur on the E. side of Muston Down, at about 350 ft. O.D.; the ground falls away to the W. and S. Much ploughed. Diam. 50 ft., ht. 2½ ft.’

<3> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 150 (Monograph). SDO132.

<3> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1973, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1972, 37-43 (Serial). SDO72.

<4> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1989, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1988, 143 (Serial). SDO88.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 205677 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<6> National Monuments Record, 27-AUG-1998, NMR 18141/21 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19626.

Record last edited

Mar 9 2023 10:44AM