Monument record MDO6989 - Bell Barrow in Pallington Heath Group, Affpuddle

A Bronze Age bell barrow. In 1970 this monument was reported as around 63 feet in diameter, including a berm on north side, with a mound about 8½ feet high and a ditch 7 feet wide and 1 foot deep. The barrow is visible as an earthwork on lidar imagery of 2010.

Three heather covered round barrows near Pallington Clump have all been mutilated by vehicle tracks. The diameters of the barrow are all measured from inside ditch to inside ditch and the heights from the top of the mound to the base of the ditch. 'A' - SY 78809222. Bell barrow, 24.0m diameter and 1.9m high, with a surrounding ditch averaging 3.0m wide and 0.5m deep and a vague and sloping berm. There is a hollow in the top of the mound. <2>

'A' - SY 78809222. Bell barrow, 65ft diameter and 6ft high with ditch 8ft wide and 11/2ft deep and a berm 6 to 12ft wide. <3>

'A' - (46) SY 78799222. Bell (?) barrow, 63ft diameter including berm on north, and 81/2ft high. The ditch is 7ft wide and 1ft deep. <4>

'A' SY 78799222, as described but no visible traces of a berm survive. … A, B and C re-surveyed, and D surveyed, at 1:2500 on MSD. <5>

The barrow is visible as an earthwork on lidar imagery of 2010. It is sub-circular in shape and measures 21 m in diameter. <6> This feature was digitally plotted during the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1902 (Map). SWX1540.

(Centred SY 788922) Tumuli (NR) (three shown)

<2> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 23-SEP-52 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<3> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 162 (Monograph). SDO132.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 434 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘Pallington Heath Group (SY 79 SE). Eight barrows, including one probable bell, immediately S. of Piddle-Frome watershed, near S. edge of broad flat plateau just above 300 ft. contour. … (46) Bell (?) (78799222) 80 yds. E.N.E. of (44). Diam. 63 ft., including berm on N., ht. 8½ ft., ditch 7 ft. wide and 1 ft. deep.’

<5> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F2 JGB 23-JAN-81 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<6> Environment Agency, 2010, Lidar DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO13148.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 454876 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 25 2024 9:45AM