Monument record MDO6353 - Bowl barrow, one of the Oakley Down Group, Wimborne St Giles

Bowl barrow forming part of the Oakley Down Group. In 1975 the RCHM(E) reported that the monument had a diameter of 54 feet and a mound surviving to a height of 5 feet. This monument was excavated by Richard Colt Hoare in the early 19th century. He reported finding three cists with cremations. Later excavations by General Pitt-Rivers recovered a 'bucket' urn.

A bowl barrow, part of the Oakley Down barrow group (SU 01 NW 19). It was described by RCHME as a mound 54 feet in diameter and 5 feet high, surrounded by a ditch 12 feet across and 1.5 feet deep. It was dug into in the early 19th century by Cunnington and Hoare (their barrow 14). Hoare's description is as follows: "No. 14 is a bowl-shaped barrow of a very smooth and regular shape. On the east side of it was a deep cist neatly cut in the chalk, and containing a large quantity of charcoal and burned bones very minutely pulverized. Not satisfied with this discovery, and perceiving an irregular stratum of charcoal and burning round the barrow, we were induced to make a further trial; and we shortly found a small cist cut in the chalk, but without either bones or ashes. Pursuing our investigation, we soon had the good fortune to come to an urn with its bottom inverted; and over it was the jaw-bone of an animal, apparently a cow. The urn was rudely baked, but neatly formed: it covered a most complete interment of burned bones. We afterwards came to a third cist, containing only ashes." In 1898, Pitt Rivers published a Deverel-Rimbury urn which had been found in a fox hole being dug out by some workmen.

One cist contained a cremation and charcoal, another contained a cremation under an inverted urn, above which was the jawbone of a cow, the third contained only ashes. A Late Bronze Age banded bucket urn was found in fox hole in this barrow in or before 1898.

<1> Pitt-Rivers, A H L F, 1898, Excavations in Cranborne Chase near Rushmore on the Borders of Dorset and Wilts 1893-96 Volume IV, 180-1 (Monograph). SDO16623.

<2> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 144 (Monograph). SDO132.

<3> Colt Hoare, Sir Richard, 1975, The ancient history of Wiltshire, 241 (Monograph). SDO18077.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1975, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume V (East), 103 (Monograph). SDO129.

‘(104) Bowl (01841709), (Hoare No. 14), under which three cists were found. One contained a cremation and charcoal; another contained a cremation under an inverted urn and the jawbone of a (?) cow; the third contained only ashes. A 'bucket' urn was subsequently recovered from this barrow (Pitt-Rivers, Excavations IV (1898), 180 and Pl. 305). Diam. 54 ft., ht. 5 ft., with surrounding ditch 12 ft. across and 1½ ft. deep.’

<5> Bowen, H C, 1990, The Archaeology of Bokerley Dyke (Monograph). SWX800.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1312386 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 7 2024 7:13PM