Monument record MDO7119 - Bowl barrow on Roke Down, Bere Regis

One of a row of three mounds on a low rise interpreted as Bronze Age round barrows and lying within the remains of a prehistoric field system. In 1970 this monument was reported as being around 55 feet in diameter with a low mound, much reduced by ploughing. It appears to be situated in the corner of one of the prehistoric fields. The site is visible as a cropmarks ring ditch on aerial photographs and was digitally recorded during the Dorset Upper Cern and Piddle AIM Project. Traces of an internal mound are visible as low earthworks on lidar imagery.

Three ditchless round barrows on Roke Down marked on OS 1" 1811. 'A' - SY 81899650. Bowl barrow, 18.0m diameter and 0.6m high. <1>

Three round barrows situated on Roke Down in an area of 'Celtic' fields. All are nearly flattened by modern ploughing.
'A' - (90) - SY 81919649. Bowl (?) barrow, 55 ft diameter, apparently at a 'Celtic' field angle. <2> <4>

'A'. SY 81899649. Bowl barrow as described, in arable. 'A' and 'C' resurveyed at 1:2500 on M.S.D. <6>

A group of three plough-damaged bowl barrows on Roke Down. The barrow mounds are each composed of earth, flint and chalk and measure up to 20-22 metres in diameter and 0.5 metres in height. The group forms part of a wider group of 11 barrows, which together form a round barrow cemetery on Roke Down. Scheduled. (6)

The site is visible as a cropmarks ring ditch on aerial photographs (9) and was digitally recorded during the Dorset Upper Cern and Piddle AIM Project. Traces of an internal mound are visible as low earthworks on lidar imagery (10).

<1> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 15-NOV-54 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<2> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 90 (Monograph). SDO132.

<3> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1968 (Map). SWX1540.

(Centred SY 819964) Tumuli (NR) three shown

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 436 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘Bowls (?), three (SY 89 NW), on O.S. (1811), on Roke Down on crest and slopes of low rise above 200 ft. among Ancient Field Group (30). Nearly flattened by modern ploughing.
(90) (81919649). Diam. 55 ft. Apparently at 'Celtic' field angle.’

<5> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1989, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1988, 143 (Serial). SDO88.

<6> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F2 JGB 15-MAY-81 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<7> Historic England, Scheduled Monument Notification, 09-Mar-01 (Scheduling record). SDO17468.

<8> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<9> National Record of the Historic Environment, 455875 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<9> National Monuments Record, 23-JAN-2007, NMR 24522/35 (Aerial Photograph). SDO20773.

<10> Environment Agency, 15-DEC-2023, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO20691.

Record last edited

Jul 20 2024 5:41PM