Monument record MDO7865 - Drinking Barrow, Steeple

Drinking Barrow is marked at this location on the Ordnance Survey 1st Edition map. It is one of two possible Bronze Age barrows visible as earthworks on aerial photographs. They are both surrounded by a post medieval tree enclosure ring described separately in MDO30860.

Drinking Barrow is marked at this location on the OS 1st Edition map. It is one of two possible Bronze Age barrows visible as earthworks on aerial photographs <1>. They are both surrounded by a post medieval tree enclosure ring described separately in MDO30860. The site was digitally plotted during the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.

'Drinking Barrow', a bowl barrow at the north corner of Great Plantation, is oval in plan, 45 feet east to west by about 54 feet north to south, and 4 feet high. There is no surrounding ditch, that about 6 feet from the base on the west being part of an abandoned system of copse banks and ditches, and a depression along the east side being a disused track. <2>

SY 90698313. Steeple 2. Drinking Barrow, bowl barrow listed with reference to RCHM. Grinsell notes that it is probably so-called from the ditch being waterlogged in wet weather. <3>

This round barrow is situated on high ground in a dense unmanaged conifer platation near the edge of the army firing range. It is rather spread being up to 18.7m across and because it has been positioned on a slight slope it varies from 0.7m to 1.4m in height. This sloping site may accont for the vaguely oval shape. The other banks and ditches noted by the RCHM <2> remain clearly evident. Grinsells explanation for the name of the barrow is rather odd as there is no apparent ditch. Published 1:2500 survey revised. <6>

<1> Royal Air Force, 18-JAN-1962, RAF 58/4878 (F22) 0068-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13463.

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 451 (Monograph). SDO150.

<3> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 131 (Monograph). SDO132.

<4> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 90698313) Drinking Barrow (NR)

<5> Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey, IOP 190 (Index). SDO147.

'Situated in dense mature coniferous plantation, covered in rhododendron and pine. This barrow is a prominent rise with an uneven surface caused by badger infestation.'

<6> Fletcher, Martin, Field investigator's comments MJF, F1 MJF 02-MAY-86 (Unpublished document). SDO17630.

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

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 456975 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 21 2024 3:36PM