Monument record MDO7042 - Bowl barrow, one of the 'Three Barrows' on Middlebere Heath, Arne

A ditched bowl barrow is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs. In 1970 this monument was reported as being around 84 feet in diameter with a mound about six and a half feet high.

(Centred SY 93918441) Three Barrows (Tumuli) (NR). (1)

Three Bowl Barrows. One ditched. (2)

'A' An almost shapeless mound which is no longer recognisable as
a barrow it is badly pitted all over and is much spread out. It
probably had a diameter of 15-17m and a height of 1.3m. There
is no trace of a surrounding ditch. ? Bowl Barrow.
'B' A badly mutilated mound which measures 20.0m North-South and
7.0m East-West. Height 1.5m. A small portion of the barrow which
remains in the Northern quadrant would seem to give an original
diameter of approx 10.0m. There is no trace of a surrounding
ditch. The construction of a modern bank and ditch in the West
probably elongated the barrow Southwards. ? Bowl Barrow.

'C' Is a bowl barrow with a diameter of 24.0m and a height
of 2.0m and has a surrounding ditch 2.0m wide and 0.3m deep
except in the Eastern quadrant where it has been obliterated
by the construction of a modern bank and ditch. There is a hollow
7.0m long, 3.0m wide and 0.2m deep at the Southern base. Heather
covered.
A-B. Description as Bowl Barrows accepted from Authy 2.
C. Bowl Barrow.
There were no surface finds in the vicinity of any of these
barrows. (3)

The Three Barrows lie in an E-W line within 100ft. ring contour
on S.W. of Middlebere Heath. All are badly damaged.
(42) Ditched bowl (93898441). Diam. 84 ft. ht. 6 1/2 ft, with
ditch about 10 ft. wide. Possibly contiguous with (43).
(43) Bowl (?) (93918441) immediately E of (42). Ht about 6 ft.
(44) Bowl (?), large (93948441), 25 yds E of (43). (4)

SY 939845 Three round barrows. Scheduled. (5)

(Centred SY 939844) Three Barrows (NR). (6)

SY 93888441. Arne 13.
SY 93928441. Arne 14.
SY 93958441. Arne 15.
Three ditched bowl barrows listed. (2)

A & B. These two disturbed barrows situated on a high point are
covered by dense impenetrable gorse vegetation. Detailed
inspection not possible.

Published 1:2500 survey accepted.

C. This ditched round barrow lies on the edge of an arable field
and its fringes are regularly ploughed. The gorse covered mound
is 25.0m in diameter and up to 2.0m high; the ditch is 3.0m to
4.0m wide and now has a maximum depth of 0.2m.

The hollow on the south side is a vague shallow amorphous
depression of unknown origin and purpose.

Published 1:2500 survey revised. (7)


The barrow is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs (10-11), it was digitally plotted during the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.

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

<2> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 86 (Monograph). SDO132.

<3> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 30-JUL-52 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<4> 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.

‘The Three Barrows (SY 98 SW) lie in an E.-W. line within 100 ft. ring contour on S.W. of Middlebere Heath. All are badly damaged. (42) Ditched bowl (93898441). Diam. 84 ft., ht. 6½ ft., with ditch about 10 ft. wide. Possibly contiguous with (43).’

<5> Department of the Environment, 1978, Department of the Environment (IAM) Ancient Monuments of England (Vol 2), 59 (Monograph). SWX1687.

<6> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

<7> Fletcher, Martin, Field investigator's comments MJF, F2 MJF 29-APR-86 (Unpublished document). SDO17630.

<8> Papworth, M, 1992, Middlebere, Corfe Castle Estate, Dorset. Wessex Region, 14 (Unpublished document). SWX1394.

The best preserved of three Bronze Age bowl barrows. The mound is visible as a prominent rise on the western edge of the Estate and it measures 23m dia. and 2.0m high. Traces of the barrow quarry ditch 2.5m wide and 0.3m deep are visible on the south-east of the mound and to the north-west where the perimeter meets an old field bank aligned east-west. Shown on Woodward’s map (1775) on which this group is called the ‘Three Barrows’. Visited 17/7/1992.

<9> Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey, IOP 84 (Index). SDO147.

‘Situated on heathland under a thick growth of gorse. O.S.SY98SW44. 1/3/C.’

<10> National Monuments Record, 18-NOV-2005, NMR SY 9384/5-9 (NMR 24141/15-19) (Aerial Photograph). SDO13515.

<11> Royal Air Force, 10-FEB-1945, RAF 106G/LA/128 7058-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13468.

<12> National Record of the Historic Environment (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 20 2025 3:42PM