Monument record MDO5619 - Bronze Age round barrow on Week Street Down, Gussage St Michael

A ring ditch, probably representing a plough-levelled round barrow, visible as a cropmark on air photographs. It is circa 50 feet in diameter and lies in the corner of a modern field, circa 250 metres northwest of the terminal of the Dorset Cursus.

Eight barrows (A-H) are scatterd over the E. slopes of Week Street Down between 220 ft., and 280 ft. above O.D. All have been greatly reduced by heavy ploughing. They were probably all opened by Warne in 1848, but it is not possible to correlate his account with individual barrows. From the barrows excavated he recorded the following: No 15, a primary inhumation and a secondary cremation in a cist; No. 16, two secondary or intrusive inhumations; No. 17, a very low mound, a primary crouched inhumation; No. 18, an urn from the centre and a secondary cremation to the N.W. with remains of a small urn; No. 19, six cremations in cists, two with fragments of urns; No. 20, a cremation with pottery in a cist, and a large urn containing a cremation; No. 21 no finds.

(A) Barrow (96811273), lies in the corner of a modern field; it has been levelled by ploughing but is visible on air photographs, diam. About 50 ft. <4>

ST 9696 1328. At least 3 cremations on Week Street Down were ploughed out in 1970. One was in a plain bucket-urn; the others were probable urn sherds, one fingertip-decorated. Part of a Deverel-Rimbury Cemetery? <5>

A ring ditch, probably representing a plough-levelled round barrow, visible as a cropmark on air photographs. It is circa 50 feet in diameter and lies in the corner of a modern field, circa 250 metres northwest of the terminal of the Dorset Cursus (Linear 41). Formerly recorded as part of ST 91 SE 42, this may have been one of the barrows explored by Warne in 1848.

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

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

(Centred ST 968130) Tumulus (NR) (4 times) Tumuli (NR)

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1302922 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1975, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume V (East), 26 (Monograph). SDO129.

'There is evidence of twenty round barrows in the parish, most of them levelled or badly damaged by ploughing. They are found on the two Chalk ridges which cross the parish, Week Street Down in the extreme W. and Gussage Hill in the centre.
Eight barrows (18-25) are scattered over the E. slopes of Week Street Down between 220 ft., and 280 ft. above O.D. All have been greatly reduced by heavy ploughing. They were probably all opened by Warne in 1848, but it is not possible to correlate his account with individual barrows (C.T.D., Pt. I, Nos. 15-21). From the barrows excavated he recorded the following: No. 15, a primary inhumation and a secondary cremation in a cist; No. 16, two secondary or intrusive inhumations; No. 17, a very low mound, a primary crouched inhumation; No. 18, an urn from the centre and a secondary cremation to the N.W. with remains of a small urn; No. 19, six cremations in cists, two with fragments of urns; No. 20, a cremation with pottery in a cist, and a large urn containing a cremation; No. 21, no finds.
(18) Barrow (96811273), 300 yds. N.W. of the end of (9), lies in the corner of a modern field; it has been levelled by ploughing but is visible on air photographs (RAF, CPE/UK 1934:4146-7); diam. about 50 ft.'

<5> Grinsell, L V, 1982, Dorset Barrows Supplement, 40 (Monograph). SWX1703.

<6> Bowen, H C, 1990, The Archaeology of Bokerley Dyke (Monograph). SWX800.

<7> Bowen, H C, 1991, The Archaeology of Bokerley Dyke: Inventory, 7 (Monograph). SDO14864.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 210072 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 7 2024 4:24PM