Monument record MDO837 - Bowl barrow, one of the Cheselbourne West Down Group, Cheselbourne

Bronze Age bowl barrow. In 1970 this monument was reported as being around 20 feet in diameter with a mound around one foot high, and reduced by ploughing. This may be one of six barrows in this area opened by antiquarian Charles Warne, who found cists filled with ashes in one, possibly cremation burials, and ashes in others. The barrow is visible on aerial photographs and lidar imagery and was digitally recorded during the Upper Cerne and Piddle valleys AIM project.

"…six barrows, opened on Chesilbourne Down,about five miles north of Dorchester. In none of these was any urn discovered, or any fragment of potters ware. In one of them a large barrow, a number of peculiar narrow deep cists were found, having been excavated in the chalk, from eighteen inches to two feet deep, but from ten to twelve inches only in diameter. These were filled with ashes and black mould, but no bones were seen. The other barrows had no cist, nor any apparent interment; ashes were plentiful scattered about , but there were no bones found". <1>

A group of five bowl barrows and a cairn at 'C' - (SY 74049861).This includes two barrows noted by R.C.A.H.M. (not published on OS 6") at 'A' - SY 74159887 & 'B' - 74189886. They average 7 - 11 paces in diameter and one ft. in height except 'D' - (SY 74019850) which measures 20 paces in diameter and 3 ft. high with a central hollow. <3>

The correct siting of 'A' is SY 74199887 and 'B' is SY 74219886 and there is a further barrow at 'E' - SY 74229886 making a total of seven grass covered bowl barrow. 'D' has a diameter of 20.0 metres and a height of 0.7 metres taken to the east, with a central hollow. No trace of a ditch. The remainder average 8.0 metres in diameter and 0.6 metres in height and are flat topped, situated in an I.A./R.B. field system (see SY 79 NW 11) and generally at the junction of two or more lynchets. No trace of ditches. See Air Photographs CPE/UK/1974/3363-4. <4>

Four bowl barrows, and 'A' and 'B' are probably bowl barrows while 'E' is possibly a bowl barrow. <5>

Cheselbourne West Down Group 1 comprises six barrows which lie between 300 ft. and 400 ft. O.D. on a S.W. slope above a dry valley in the extreme S.W. of the parish. All have been reduced by ploughing.

'B' (29) Barrow? (74189886), 40 yds. E.S.E. OF (28), is of similar form and dimensions to the foregoing.

Warne opened six barrows on Cheselbourne Down Hogleaze; they are probably among (24-29). His first barrow covered several cists cut into the natural chalk and filled with ashes; two others contained no internments and were apparently mere cenotaphs; the remainder yielded only ashes (C.T.D. Pt 1, No 9: Archaeologia XXX (1844), 334). <6>

'B' and 'E' should be near to barrow 'A', but no other mounds are visible in this part of the field. <7>

Barrows destroyed by ploughing. <8>

The barrow is visible on aerial photographs and lidar imagery and was digitally recorded during the Upper Cerne and Piddle valleys AIM project. It appears as a cropmark ringditch with traces of an internal mound <10-12>.

<1> Sydenham, J, 1844, An account of the opening of some barrows in south Dorsetshire; Archaeologia 30, Nos 20-25 (Article in serial). SDO17222.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1903 (Map). SWX1540.

(Group Centred SY 74079860) Tumuli (NR) Tumulus (NR)

<3> Grinsell, L V, 1935-54, Dorset Barrows 1935-54 Manuscript (Unpublished document). SWX1556.

<4> Swatridge, G C, Various, Field Investigators Comments GCS, F1 GCS 01-DEC-54 (Unpublished document). SWX1169.

<5> Fox, J, Oral: J Fox, 11.1.1955 (Verbal communication). SDO20492.

<6> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 1, 78 (Monograph). SDO146.

‘(29) Barrow ? (74189886), 40 yds. E.S.E. of (28), is of similar form and dimensions to the foregoing [much ploughed and somewhat irregular; diam. about 20 ft., ht. 1 ft.’

<7> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F2 JGB 07-NOV-80 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<8> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Large Scale/Small Scale Map Reviser's comments, SS Rev 11/81 (Verbal communication). SDO19451.

<9> National Record of the Historic Environment, 454695 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<10> Environment Agency, 15-DEC-2023, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO20691.

<11> Ordnance Survey, 15-MAY-1974, OS/74058 V 116 (Aerial Photograph). SDO20961.

<12> Royal Air Force, 17-APR-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2018 RP 3082 (Aerial Photograph). SDO20970.

Record last edited

Oct 17 2024 4:46PM