Monument record MDO6766 - Bowl Barrow, Canford Heath, Poole

Bowl barrow on heathland, with surrounding ditch still visible. Gravel digging has caused an impression of an external bank around parts of the monument. A hole has been dug into the top. The barrow is visible on 1940s aerial photographs and current Lidar imagery and was digitally plotted from these sources by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

Diameter 47ft. Height 4.5ft. Ditch well defined, unopened. <1>

A heather and bracken covered bowl barrow, 15.0m. in diameter and 1.6m. high. The mound has been dug into on top. There
is a ditch 1.0m., wide and 0.15m. deep. Surface gravel diggings up to the edge of the ditch on the north, west and south give the impression of an outer bank to the ditch on these quadrants. This bank effect is evidently caused by the 0.3m. deep diggings, for it is absent on the east side of the barrow. <3>

Bowl barrow. <4>

SZ 02629690. Ditched bowl barrow, 40ft. diameter and 5ft. high with ditch about 6ft wide. Damaged by gravel diggings. <5>

SZ 02619689. Bowl barrow on heathland. Diameter 16.5 metres overall including a ditch 2.0 metres wide and 0.2 metres deep. Height of mound 1.3 metres. The 'false' outer bank remains as described. Resurveyed at 1:2500 on M.S.D. <6>

Bowl barrow on heathland, about 1.3 m high and 16.5 metres in overall diameter, including a ditch 2.0 metres wide and 0.2 metres deep. There is an impression of an outer bank on the north, west and south sides caused by gravel digging. The mound has been dug into on top. (1) (2)

The barrow is visible on 1940s aerial photographs and current Lidar imagery and was digitally plotted from these sources by the Dorset Stour NMP project <7-8>. In 1946 the barrow is under scrubby vegetation and although visible is not clearly defined. On current Lidar imagery the barrow appears to comprise a mound approximately 16m in diameter within a 2m wide ditch.

<1> Wallace, W G, 1919-23, Bournemouth Natural Science Society 6" map and private notes (Article in serial). SDO17433.

<2> National Monuments Record, NMR Monument Record (Index). SDO9937.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1938 (Map). SWX1540.

(SZ 02629689) Tumulus (NR)

<3> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 14-NOV-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<4> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows (Monograph). SDO132.

<5> 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.

'(385) Ditched bowl (SZ 09 NW; 02629690) on fairly level site above steep slopes to W. and N.W. Diam. 40 ft., ht. 5 ft., with ditch about 6 ft. wide. Damaged by gravel digging.'

<6> Mead, Richard, Field Investigators Comments RPM, F2 RPM 26-JUN-81 (Unpublished document). SWX2301.

<7> Royal Air Force, 12-DEC-46, RAF/CPE/UK/1893 RP 3255-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16029.

<8> Royal Air Force, 11-NOV-1971, RAF RAF/39/3829 0072-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDO14552.

<9> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<10> National Record of the Historic Environment, 457984 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 4 2023 4:08PM