Monument record MDO671 - Mound on Middle Hill, Cattistock

A mound thought possibly to be the remains of a Bronze Age round barrow. In 1952 this feature was described as being around 40 feet in diameter with a mound about three quarters of a foot high, and greatly disturbed, having the form of a roughly-circular bank. It was visited in 1959 by Leslie Grinsell, who thought the identification as a round barrow was doubtful. A low sub-circular earthwork visible at this location on a 2007 aerial photograph may be this feature. It was digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Frome AIM project.

A much disturbed mound, 40 feet in diameter and 9 inches high approximately. Now has the appearance of a rough circular bank. <1>

A roughly circular platform 11.0m in diameter and 0.2m high with a flinty circumference, damaged by ploughing. There is a slight depression in the centre. A doubtful, or extensively mutilated barrow, unlikely to have been a hut circle since ploughing failed to reveal any occupation debris. It is sited in an exposed ridge-top position. <2>

ST 60590033 A doubtful bowl barrow, truncated. Shown as a mound by OS. <3>

No change from report of 13 5 55. Mound surveyed at ST 60560032 on 1:2500. <4>

The feature is not clearly evident on recent Google Earth imagery where vegetation is obscuring the site.

Mound on Middle Hill, is about 40ft. In diam and 0.75ft. High. It has been much disturbed and now has the appearance of a rough circular bank. It was visited in 1959 by Leslie Grinsell, who thought the identification as a round barrow was doubtful.

A low sub-circular earthwork visible at this location on a 2007 aerial photograph may be this feature <5>. It appears to comprise of a roughly circular mound approximately 9.5m in diameter, with indication of a possible E-W aligned plough mark across its surface. The feature was digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Frome AIM project.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 73 (Monograph). SDO97.

‘(16) MOUND, on Middle Hill 1 m. E.N.E. of the church, is about 40 ft. in diam. and ¾ ft. high. It has been much disturbed and now has the appearance of a rough circular bank.’

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 13-MAY-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<3> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 92 (Monograph). SDO132.

<4> Stone, J W, Field Investigators Comments JWS, F2 JWS 21-SEP-76 (Unpublished document). SDO11902.

<5> National Monuments Record, 10-JAN-2007, NMR24507/08-24 (ST 6000/02-13) (Aerial Photograph). SDO17075.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 199180 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 21 2022 11:37AM