Monument record MDO7421 - Bowl barrow on Corfe Common, Corfe Castle

One of two Bronze Age bowl barrows on a highpoint in an area which was ploughed and cultivated in World War II. Both mounds appear to be built over lynchets and neither shows traces of an enclosing ditch. Both mounds are spread and are now under permanent pasture.

'A' Surveyed at SY 97238110 is a turf covered mound with a diameter of 18.0m. and a height of 1.0m. With no ditch, berm or signs of mutilation. <1>

'A'-(195)-SY 97248112. Bowl barrow, 50ft diameter and 2 1/2 ft high on tip of spur. Ploughed. <3>

Two earthern round barrows, both spread by the plough, stand in a prominent position in an area of undulating arable fields. A. SY 97238110. This spread mound measures from 20.0m to 22.0m in diameter and ranges from 1.0m to 1.9m in height, its southern slopes merge into the natural hillslopes. … There is no evidence of stone content nor enclosing ditches with either barrow.

The low ploughed-down lynchet extends from the eastern side of barrow 'B' for 50.0m before it is lost under an overgrown hedge. Surveyed at 1:2500. <5>

Two bronze age bowl barrows survive on a highpoint in an area which was ploughed and cultivated in World War II. Both mounds appear to be constructed over lynchets and neither exhibits traces of an enclosing ditch. Both mounds are spread and are now under permanent pasture.

SY9723811 A spread bowl barrow 20m in diameter and from 0.9m to 2m high. … Both mounds appear to be constructed on SW-facing lynchets. <6>

<1> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 09-AUG-52 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<2> Farrar R A H (ed ), 1959, Two possible barrows and remains of a flint industry near Little Woolgarston, Corfe Common; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO12508.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1960, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1959, 107-108 (Serial). SDO59.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 443 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘195) Bowl (SY 98 SE; 97248112) on tip of slight W.-facing spur. Diam. 50 ft., ht. 2½ ft. Ploughed.’

<4> Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey, IOP 42 (Index). SDO147.

'Bowl Barrow. Diam. 15.2m and Ht. 0.8m. Situated in a normally ploughed field under grass. This barrow, visible as a low rise, has been reduced and spread by ploughing. OS SY98SE12. RAF/VAP/1821.2407. 7/7/C.'

<5> Fletcher, Martin, Field investigator's comments MJF, F2 MJF 13-OCT-86 (Unpublished document). SDO17630.

<6> Fletcher, Martin, Field investigator's comments MJF, Field Investigation 20 Dec 2003 (Unpublished document). SDO17630.

<7> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<8> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AF00137 (Index). SDO14738.

Corfe Common, Dorset. A large scale archaeological survey and investigation of Corfe Common was commissioned by the National Trust to provide detailed information to aid future management and conservation decisions. The common is a unique landscape, an SSSI entirely enclosed by cultivated land, which incorporates an impressive variety of relatively undisturbed archaeological features. The analytical investigation was undertaken by staff from the English Heritage Exeter Office in the Spring of 2003.Background AutoCAD files stored on CD03001: 'Plan.dwg' and '1to10000plan.dwg'.

<9> National Record of the Historic Environment, 456789 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 16 2023 4:41PM