Monument record MDO7685 - Bowl barrow, one of the West Holme Heath Group, East Stoke

A Bronze Age barrow mound is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs taken in 1946. It is one of a linear barrow cemetery of originally five or six barrows on East Holme Heath. This barrow is no longer identifiable on the most recent Google Earth imagery.

West Holme Heath group of five, possibly six round barrows, lying in an almost straight east to west line in an area devastated by tanks. 'D'-(29)-SY 88328460. Bowl barrow, 50ft diameter and 4ft high. Disturbed in centre. <2>

SY 883846. Round barrows on West Holme Heath. Scheduled. <3>

'A', 'D' and 'E' have been destroyed. The surviving barrows are in very poor condition, having been mutilated by military activity. Surveyed at 1:2500 on M.S.D. <4>

A Bronze Age barrow mound, 17m across, is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs taken in 1946 <7>. It is one of a linear barrow cemetery of originally five or six barrows on East Holme Heath. This barrow is no longer identifiable on the most recent Google Earth imagery. The barrow group has been severely damaged by military training activity and only the eastern-most of the group and whilst much mutilated is still visible on more recent verticals <8-9>. The site was digitally plotted during the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(Centred SY 883846) Tumuli (NR) (Five Shown)

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘WEST HOLME HEATH GROUP (SY 88 SE). Five, possibly six, barrows lie in an almost straight E.-W. line on a slight ridge in an area devastated by tanks. … (29) Bowl (88328460) 33 yds. E. of (28). Diam. 50 ft., ht. 4 ft. Disturbed in centre.’

<3> Department of the Environment, 1977, Department of the Environment (IAM) Ancient Monuments of England Vol 2, 63 (Monograph). SWX2300.

<4> Attrill, N J, Field Investigators Comments NJA, F1 NJA 07-JUL-81 (Unpublished document). SDO14743.

<5> Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey, IOP 133 (Index). SDO147.

'Destroyed by the construction of a track associated range built immediately N. of this barrow group. 1/7/E'

<6> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<7> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 4419-20 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13706.

<8> Ordnance Survey, 15-MAY-1996, OS 9625 8933-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13707.

<9> Dorset County Council, 2002, Dorset County Council Vertical Photograph (Aerial Photograph). SDO13401.

<10> National Record of the Historic Environment, 455486 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 22 2024 2:48PM