Monument record MDO8004 - Inhumation burials, Swanage Bay

Several inhumation burials were exposed in a cliff fall in Swanage Bay in 1877. Two stone cists were found containing some evidence for a wooden coffin. These burials are probably either Romano-British or post-Roman in date.

Swanage Bay. Inhumation burials were exposed in 1877 in a cliff fall about 1/2 mile N of Swanage. Of two covered and partly floored cists of stone slabs, about 3 ft apart at a depth of 18 ins, one about 2 1/2 ft long contained fragmentary bones of a child, the other, some 3 ft long, probably the same. Large nails in both graves, one with oak (?) fibres, suggested wooden coffins, perhaps of boards 2in thick. One cist contained one or two sherds of black ware. The remains were near the North Ledge, presumably the Tanville Ledges offshore near Highcliffe Road, New Swanage. Objects, untraced, were formerly in Mowlem Institute, Swanage. (Included under Roman Remains) (1)

Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Records, SZ 07 NW 17 (Index). SDO131.

SZ 031798 "Swanage Bay. Inhumation burials were exposed in 1877 in a cliff fall about 1/2 mile north of Swanage. Of two covered and partly floored cists of stone slabs, about 3 feet apart at a depth of 18 inches, one about 2 1/2 feet long contained fragmentary bones of a child, the other, some 3 feet long, probably the same. Large nails in both graves, one with oak (?) fibres, suggested wooden coffins, perhaps of boards 2 inches thick. One cist contained one or two sherds of black ware. The remains were near the `North Ledge', presumably the Tanville Ledges offshore near Highcliffe Road, New Swanage.

Objects, untraced, were formerly in Mowlem Institute, Swanage." (Included under `Roman Remains') (1)

A Roman or early Medieval date has been suggested for the burials. (2)

( 1a) General reference The Times 23 Aug 1877.
( 1b) General reference Robinson C E. 1882. A Royal Waren, Picturesque Rambles in the Vale of Purbeck, 101
( 1) Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England) 1970 An inventory of historical monuments in the County of Dorset. Volume two : south-east [in three parts] 1970 Page(s)611-12
( 2) Gazetteer of Early Medieval Sites (unpublished thesis, 2006 by Dr A.K Cherryson)) Page(s)42

Robinson, C E, 1882, A Royal Waren, Picturesque Rambles in the Vale of Purbeck, p101 (Monograph). SWX8476.

Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 611-2 (Monograph). SDO150.

SWANAGE BAY (SZ 07 SW). Inhumation burials were exposed in 1877 in a cliff fall about 1/2 m. N. of Swanage (about 031798). Of two covered and partly floored cists of stone slabs, about 3 ft. apart at a depth of 18 ins., one about 2 1/2 ft. long contained fragmetnary bones of a child, the other, some 3 ft. long, probably the same. Large nails in both graves, one with oak (?) fibres, suggested wooden coffins perhaps of boards 2 ins. Thick. One cist contained one of two sherds of black ware. The remains were near the 'North Lodge', presumably the Tanville Ledges offshore near Highcliffe Road, New Swanage. Objects, untraced, were formerly in Mowlem Institute, Swanage. (The Times, 23 Aug. 1877; C. E. Robinson, A Royal Warren: Picturesque Rambles in the Isle of Purbeck (1882), 101.

Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey, IOP 313 (Index). SDO147.

The cliff top in this area has been built on with hotels and gardens. OS SZ07NW17.
7/7/E TWA/IOP/1985

<1> The Times, 23 Aug 1877 (Serial). SWX3285.

Record last edited

Oct 18 2013 9:50AM