Monument record MDO7038 - Bell barrow on Stoborough Heath, Arne

Bell barrow inside modern tree clump enclosure, diameter 65 feet, hight 7 feet. The top of the mound flattened and disturbed. The barrow is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs.

The barrow is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs <3-4> and was digitally plotted during the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.

Bell Barrow. Rather small with sloping narrow berm. Surrounded by tree-ring. <2>

This barrow has a diameter of 21.0m and a height of 2.2m and is surrounded by a modern bank with outer ditch. It has a vague berm. It is flat topped and is heather covered. There are no visible traces of it having been excavated. Bell Barrow. <5>

SY 92188467. Arne 16a. Bell barrow listed. <6>

Round barrow at SY 92178469, possibly a bell barrow. It is situated on a slight rise immediately inside a modern tree-clump
enclosure. Diameter, including slight sloping berm, 65 feet. Height 7 feet. Top flattened and disturbed. <7>

Round barrow at SY 922848 on Stoborough Heath. Scheduled. <8>


This round barrow is generally as described although it is covered by a dense almost impenetrable gorse cover. The mound is up to 22.0m in diameter and about 2.1m high. A vague change of slope can be detected partway up the mound and the oval-shaped flat top has an 0.4m deep central mutilation. The enclosing ditched tree-ring bank is up to 0.9m high. Published 1:2500 survey revised. <10>

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1925 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 92188468) Tumulus (NR)

<2> Grinsell, L V, Dorset Barrows (Unpublished MSs) (Unpublished document). SWX2678.

<3> Royal Air Force, 10-FEB-1945, RAF 106G/LA/128 7058-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13468.

<4> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 4411-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13469.

<5> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 31-JUL-52 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<6> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 86 (Monograph). SDO132.

<7> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 435 (Monograph). SDO150.

<8> Department of the Environment, 1978, Department of the Environment (IAM) Ancient Monuments of England (Vol 2) (Monograph). SWX1687.

<9> Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey, IOP 80 (Index). SDO147.

‘Situated in a coniferous plantation but no trees grow from this barrow. Thickly overgrown with gorse and heather and also bracken. Uneven on top, probably due to animal disturbance. Barrow ditch clear and outer ditch also clear. OS SY98SW41. 1/2/B.’

<10> Fletcher, Martin, Field investigator's comments MJF, F2 MJF 30-APR-86 (Unpublished document). SDO17630.

<11> National Record of the Historic Environment, 457024 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 17 2025 4:46PM