Monument record MDO7248 - Late prehistoric round barrow, Chaldon Down, Chaldon Herring

A circular mound is visible at this location as a cropmark on aerial photographs. It is considered likely to be the remains of a late prehistoric round barrow. It is one of six potential barrows located in this vicinity (MDO7245-49 & MDO7279).

Five bowl barrows south of Chaldon Farm buildings. 'D'-SY 78378125. A bowl barrow measuring 55ft. diameter by 2ft. high circa 1959 <1> had been ploughed almost flat when excavated by White in 1969. A ring ditch, 10-12ft. Wide by 4-5ft. Deep had encircled the earth and turf-cored mound. Two modern pits were discovered, the largest being a robber trench in which a rim fragment of a primary Middle Bronze Age bucket urn, associated with cremated bone and charcoal, and a scatter of flint packing was recovered. Three small sherds of beaker pottery from the turf-core of the mound and a fragment of Romano-British terra sigillata from the upper levels of the ditch were also seen. Scheduled barrow No. 730 c; Grinsell (Chaldon Herring No. 15) Plan 1.

The excavation of barrows 'A', 'D' and 'E' also revealed a large quantity of Mesolithic waste a flakes and some finished implements including microliths, cores and scrapers.

Late Neolithic and Bronze Age artifacts including petit tranchet derivative arrowheads and scrapers were also represented. Part of an enclosure ditch was traced as a cropmark and trial trenched in 1969. The U-shaped ditch had been 10ft. Wide by 4ft. Deep with a bank to the south and a possible entrance about 30ft. Wide. No dating evidence was recovered but the ditch was possibly associated with the adjacent 'Celtic field system (SY 78 SE 14) and may have served to stop cattle straying southwards on to the cliffs. Plan 3. <3-5>

'D. SY 78378125. Ploughed almost flat. Diameter approximately 20.0m, height 0.2m. No visible ditch. 'B, 'C and 'D resurveyed at 1:2500 on M.S.D. <6>

A circular mound, approximately 15.3m in diameter, is visible at this location as a cropmark on aerial photographs <7>. It is considered likely to be the remains of a late prehistoric round barrow. It is one of six potential barrows located in this vicinity (MDO7245-49 & MDO7279). This feature was digitally plotted during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset).

<1> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 98 (Monograph). SDO132.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(Centred SY 783813) Tumuli (NR) (Five shown)

<3> Department of the Environment, 1969, Department of the Environment Archaeological Excavations 1969 (Serial). SWX2426.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 441 (Monograph). SDO150.

<5> White, D A, 1973, The Excavation of Three Round barrows on Chaldon Down, Dorset, 1969. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 95 (Article in serial). SWX2379.

<6> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 08-SEP-80 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<7> Royal Air Force, 18-FEB-1970, RAF 58/0254 0001-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12923.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 454134 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 5 2024 12:21PM