Monument record MDO7261 - Bowl barrow, one of the Beaufort Farm Group, Chaldon Herring

A bowl barrow, one of a line of four probable bowl barrows along the spine of a low ridge. In 1970 this monument was described as around 41 feet in diameter with a mound 1½ feet high. The Bronze Age barrow is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of the 1940s.

Four probable bowl barrows known as the Beaufort Farm Group are situated in pasture land on the very narrow spine of a low ridge immediately north of Chaldon Herring Village: Barrow 'D' at SY 79318361 is 60ft in diameter x 4ft high situated 30 yards north east of 'C'.
(None of the barrows is listed by Grinsell or marked on OS plans). <1-2>

Four probable bowl barrows: 'D' SY 79308359. Diameter approximately 22.0m. height 1.5m. None of the barrows has a visible ditch. All are in arable and have been ploughed. Surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD. <2>

The Bronze Age barrow described is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of the 1940s. The barrow is sub-circular and measures 13 m in diameter. <3> The barrow is still visible as an earthwork on the most recent comprehensive aerial photography available to the project. <4> This feature was digitally plotted as part of the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.

<1> 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.

‘(G) BEAUFORT FARM GROUP (SY 78 SE). Four probable bowls strung along the very narrow spine of a low ridge just above the 300 ft. contour immediately N. of the village. All are in pasture. … (47) Bowl (?) (SY 78 SE; 78698418). Diam. 41 ft., ht. 1½ ft.’

<2> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 21-JUL-80 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<3> Royal Air Force, 21-JAN-1945, RAF 106G/LA/105 1070-1 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13864.

<4> Dorset County Council, XX-XXX-2009, Dorset CC Vertical Digital Photo Tile (Aerial Photograph). SDO13314.

<5> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 454243 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 20 2025 11:00AM