Monument record MDO7691 - Bronze Age round barrows, Holmebridge, East Stoke

A Bronze Age round barrow is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of South Heath, Holmebridge. It is one of a group of three round barrows forming a triangular cluster (MDO7691-93). The monument includes a bell barrow and two bowl barrows, situated on a ridge on the southern edge of South Heath. The bell barrow has the appearance of a stony patch 14 metres wide and approximately 0.2 metres high. The two bowl barrows are visible as stony patches 10 metres to 12 metres in diameter and approximately 0.2 metres in height.

One of three barrows north east of Holmebridge. C - SY 89398707. Possible bell barrow, 9.0m diameter and 1.1m high with slight sign of berm but no ditch. <2>

These barrows, including a probable bell, form a triangular cluster on top of a ridge at the south edge of South Heath: 'C' (35) - SY 89388708. Bell(?) barrow with diameter of mound and slight berm, about 36 ft and 5 ft high, with ditch about 7 ft wide and 1 ft deep. <4>

SY 892872. Three round barrows north east of Holmebridge. Scheduled. <5>

'C': SY 89408707. Bell (?) barrow, almost flattened but recognisable as a bare stony patch 10.0 metres in diameter and 0.2 metres high. No visible remains of a ditch. (Listed by Grinsell <3> as a bowl; measurements as Authority 2). Resurveyed at 1:2500 on M.S.D. (5)

A Bronze Age round barrow, approximately 11.4m in diameter, is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of South Heath, Holmebridge <8-9>. It is one of a group of three round barrows forming a triangular cluster (MDO7691-93). This feature was digitally plotted during the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project. It is not clearly visible on the most recent comprehensive aerial images available to the project.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1938 (Map). SWX1540.

Tumuli (NR) (three)

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 29-JUL-52 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<3> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 108 (Monograph). SDO132.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 1, 452 (Monograph). SDO148.

‘All twenty-one barrows lie on heathland to N. and S. of the Frome, eleven in two groups. That on West Holme Heath is a good example of a linear group related to only a slight ridge. Many have been damaged by military activity. A completely excavated example on Chick’s Hill (22) produced a primary cremation in a globular urn. In another small barrow at Highwood, now unidentifiable but possibly one of (21-5), were three inverted urns with cremations at a depth of 2 ft. (Hutchins I, 413). . . . (35) Bell (?) (89388708). Diam. of mound and slight berm about 36 ft., ht. 5 ft., with ditch about 7 ft. wide and 1 ft. deep.’

<5> Department of the Environment, 1978, Department of the Environment (IAM) Ancient Monuments of England (Vol 2), p63 (Monograph). SWX1687.

<6> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F2 JGB 18-JUN-81 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<7> DCMS, 1997, Scheduled Monument Notification 1997, 15/10/1997 (Scheduling record). SDO17426.

<8> Royal Air Force, 10-FEB-1945, RAF 106G/LA/128 7093-94 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13188.

<9> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 6409-10 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13207.

<10> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<11> National Record of the Historic Environment, 455188 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 9 2024 5:05PM