Monument record MDO5810 - Bowl Barrow, one of the Launceston South Down Group, Long Crichel

Bowl barrow, part of a cemetery on Launceston Down excavated in 1938. A circular ditch enclosed an area of 45 feet diameter. The barrow is no longer extant as an earthwork.

A probable Early Bronze Age bowl barrow, part of a cemetery on Launceston Down excavated in 1938. The barrow is no longer extant as an earthwork. A circular ditch enclosed an area of 45 feet diameter. The location made use of a natural rise. Beneath the centre of the mound was a large sub-circular pit 7.5 feet across and 1.6 feet deep. The fill of the pit contained no artefactual material except on the south west side, where another, later pit partially cut into it to the same depth. It contained an upright pottery vessel inside which were the cremated remains of an adult. Several large slabs of tabular flint had been placed around the urn. Above both pits was a cairn of flints circa 23 feet in diameter and 1.6 feet high.

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. <1-3>

Visited by MPPA in March 2000, but since all are heavily denuded, not recommended for scheduling. <4>

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

Piggott, S and CM. Excavation of Barrows on Crichel and Launceston Downs, Dorset. [Barrow 8]

<2> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, p118 (Monograph). SDO132.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1975, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume V (East), 39 (Monograph). SDO129.

'Four barrows form part of the Launceston Down South Group, the rest of which is in Tarrant Launceston (Dorset IV, 107). They 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 given. (10) Bowl (95911054), covering a large pit, beside which was a primary cremation in a barrel urn with incised chevron decoration of Cornish type; diam. 45 ft., ht. 1 ft., with a shallow ditch (Piggott, 8.)'

<4> English Heritage, English Heritage Alternative Action Report, SJ Lobb, MPPA, Mar-2000 (Scheduling record). SDO18279.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 210103 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1249214 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 23 2024 12:59PM