Monument record MDO5814 - Bowl barrow, Long Crichel

A bowl barrow overlooking the valley of the river Crichel. One of three barrows excavated by S and C M Piggott in 1938. The mound was 37 feet in diameter and just over 1 foot high, surrounded by a pen-annular ditch with its causeway to the northeast. Barrow survives as a soilmark.

An Early Bronze Age bowl barrow, part of a group of such monuments on Crichel and Launceston Downs excavated by Piggott in 1938 (see ST 91 SE 59, 60, 156 & 157) before the common was used as a Second World War bombing range (see ST 91 SE 248). Barrow is no longer extant as an earthwork but is visible as a soilmark on aerial photographs taken in 2005. The mound was 37 feet in diameter and just over 1 foot high, and surrounded by a pen-annular ditch with its causeway to the northeast which defines a mortuary enclosure. In the area enclosed by the ditch, and towards its northwest quadrant, was a smaller pen-annular ditch enclosing an area about 7 feet across. The causeway of this smaller ditch faces east, and is not quite aligned on that of the outer ditch. Circular depressions along the floor of the inner ditch suggested that a line of upright posts had stood in it. The radius of an ox had been split in two, one of the pieces placed near the ditch terminals on either side of the causeway. In the centre of this inner enclosed area was a cremation deposit placed on the natural chalk surface. Nearby was a single posthole. Just outside the causeway was a second cremation, this time placed in a slight scoop in the chalk. The mound appears to be centred over this second cremation. The only other find was a collared urn sherd found in the body of the mound. Visited by MPPA and not recommended for scheduling due to the degradation.

NB ST 91 SE 156 and ST 91 SE 157 were originally recorded as part of this monument record.

(ST 9618111:ST 96181109) Tumuli (NR). <3>

Three barrows lie on the S.E. slope of a spur overlooking the Crichel valley, Excavated in 1938 by S. and C.M. Piggott they have since been levelled by ploughing.

(A) Bowl (96191109), comprising a low mound, 37 ft. across and about 1 ft. high, within a ditch which was interrupted by a causeway on the N.E. Under the centre of the mound lay an unassociated cremation. An earlier structural phase, also under the mound, was represented by circular palisade trench enclosing an area about 7 ft. across, with a causeway on the E. A further cremation (? Primary), also without associated objects lay at the centre. A fragment of collared urn was found in the composition of the mound. … <4>

Not recommended for scheduling due to degradation. Ground photo with the archive report. <5>

The Bronze Age round barrow referred to above <2, 3, 4, 5> is visible as a soilmark centred at ST 9618 1110 on aerial photographs taken in 2005. <6>

<1> Society of Antiquaries of London, 1944, Archaeologia 90, Volume 90, p47-80. Excavation of Barrows on Crichel and Launceston Downs, Dorset. [Barrow 2] (Serial). SDO16830.

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

<3> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey map 6 inches to 1 mile, 1963 (Map). SDO11924.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1975, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume V (East), p39 (Monograph). SDO129.

'Three barrows lie on the S.E. slope of a spur overlooking the Crichel valley. Excavated in 1938 by S. and C.M. Piggot (op. cit.), they have since been levelled by ploughing. (14) Bowl (96191109), comprising a low mound, 37 ft. across and about 1 ft. high, within a ditch which was interrupted by a causeway on the N.E. Under the centre of the mound lay an unassociated cremation. An earlier structural phase, also under the mound, was represented by a circular palisade trench enclosing an area about 7 ft. across, with a causeway on the E. A further cremation (? Primary), also without associated objects, lay at the centre. A fragment of collared urn was found in the composition of the mound. (Piggott, 2.)'

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

<6> National Monuments Record, 16-FEB-2005, NMR ST 9511/90 NMR 23822/02, NMR ST 9511/90 NMR 23822/02 16-FEB-2005 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18386.

<7> Bishop, Sharon, 2009, Tarrant Launceston 15 & Environs. Aerial Photograph Survey & Analysis, Object Number: MD002384 (Unpublished document). SDO12459.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 210102 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jul 3 2023 3:26PM