Monument record MDO6743 - Wallisdown Round Barrow, Poole

Bronze Age bell barrow completely excavated in 1949. It had a central turf mound covering a disturbed central cremation burial. A series of stake and post hole arcs and circles found beneath the barrow.

'(364) Bell (SZ 09 SE; 05699432) immediately adjacent to (363) on E. and now built over after complete excavation by H.J.Case in 1949. Overall diam. 40 ft. A central mound of sods with vegetation uppermost, 10 ft. in diam. And about 1 ft. high. Was covered with gravel to give total diam. Of 22 ft. and ht. of 1½ ft. Berm 3 ft. to 5 ft. wide lay within almost perfectly circular ditch 5 ft. wide and 2 ft. to 2½ ft. deep interrupted on S.E. by causeway at least 3½ ft. wide. Beneath sod mound remains of a disturbed central grave 5 ft. long and 6 ins. Deep held traces of a presumably primary cremation. Much charcoal, including lumps up to 1 ft. long, lay around the grave; a sample was of oak.
Thirty-two post-holes and twenty-four stake-holes were found. Sixteen post-holes were approximately equidistant on circumference of a circle 28 ft. in diam., around outer edge of berm; ten, associated with the causeway, suggested an entrance structure; and six lay outside the ditch, five of them S.E. of the causeway, possibly marking-out posts. They varied between 3 ins. And 15 ins. In depth. Twelve stake-holes, 1 in. to 4 ins. Deep, lay beneath sod mound; three, leaning towards the grave, suggested possible temporary structure over it. The others lay at or immediately beyond edge of sod mound, six on an arc from barrow centre. Seventy-nine struck flints, mostly from top of mound, and many fire-pitted pebbles, mostly from sod mound and buried surface, were found. Pollen analysis suggested that forest clearance was well-advanced when the barrow, probably in Early or Middle Bronze Age, was built on land perhaps previously cultivated. (P.P.S. XVIII (1952), 148-59; and XIX (1953), 131-3; Arch. J. CXIV (1957), 1-9; P. Ashbee, The Bronze Age Round Barrow in Britain (1960), 60-5.)'. (1)

1964, Radiocarbon; An International Journal of Cosmogenic Isotope Research (Serial). SDO17135.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 448 (Monograph). SDO150.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1950, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1949, 67 (Serial). SDO49.

Two Bronze Age bell barrows in heathland whichhave been destroyed by a housing estate at Wallis Down were completely excavated in the autumn, 1949, by Mr. H. J. Case, assisted at first by Mr. P. Ashbee, on behalf of the Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments (Ministry of Works). The barrows were in immediate proximity, and both had been disturbed centrally, probably by former excavators.

Barrow I contained a central urnless cremation. It had a single ditch - a good circle 35 feet in diameter interrupted by a causeway. A short alignment of postholes led to this causeway, and here posthole of a gateway or barrier were found. Within the ditch two concentric rings of postholes were in relation to a small mount of turf encased in a thick outer covering of sand and gravel.

Barrow II probably once covered a primary burial on the ground surface. A pit of plainly ritual character filled with charcoal and ash was found near the centre. Like the first, this barrow had a single ditch with causeway, in this case an irregular circle 36 feet in diameter, and its mound had been constructed of turf revetted with soil and covered with sand and gravel. There were many stakeholes under the mo0und arranged with only moderate regularity.

Both barrows overlooked the Bourne Bottom from which they oucld be seen on the skyline, and both causeways were aligned towards it. The construction of both barrows had evidently been accompanied by fires and the scattering of fire-marked pebbles, flint flakes and cores. The only charcoal identified was oak.

In the absence of datable finds, it was not possible to assign the barrows to any particular period of the Bronze Age.

Record last edited

May 19 2021 4:45PM