Monument record MDO8458 - Cremation cemetery, Hillbrow Road, Bournemouth

A Bronze Age cremation cemetery excavated by Herbert Druitt in 1909-10. The cemetery was associated with two mounds thought to be round barrows excavated by Druitt at the same time. The smaller of the mounds was made up largely of burnt earth, charcoal and calcined flints, and may have been the place where cremations took place.

Two Barrows excavated by H. Drewitt in 1909. 'A' - Diameter 32 ft., height 2ft. 6in. It lay right on the line of Hillbrow Road approx. half way along. Two bucket urns and three fragmentary bucket or barrel type were found in the S.W. half. When Hillbrow Road was made up and the ground prepared for building at least 34 urns came to light and probably some 12 more, none of which have survived. 'B' - A smaller barrow, diameter 24ft., height 1 1/2ft some 50 paces S.W. of 'A' near the railway bridge. It consisted almost entirely of burnt earth, charcoal and calcined flints. This mound was probably the spot where the cremations took place. The later urns all appear to have come from the area N.W. of the large barrow and within 80ft. Of its edge, and nearly all occurred within 1 or 2ft. Of the surface, whereas a solitary M.B.A. urn was found, it is said, at a depth of 6ft. Among the miscellaneous material from Hillbrow in the Druitt Collection, are fragments of three I.A. bowls, with enough contemporary material to indicate the presence of Iron Age 'A' people in the neighbourhood. Seven small perforated stones were found close together, probably part of a necklace; two pieces of Kimmeridge shale and many lumps of ironstone may also be relics of this period. These were founs between the large barrow and Southbourne Road. <2>


(Area SZ 128925) 'B' - Sited from information in Auth. 2. at SZ 12829249. Perimeter of urnfield drawn in from this information. <3>

The majority of the finds from the urnfield are held by Christchurch Museum. <4>

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1941 (Map). SWX1197.

(SZ 12869253 at 'A') Tumulus (NR) (Site of) Urns found

<2> Calkin, J B, 1950, Prehistoric Pokesdown, Proceedings of the Bournemouth Natural Science Society 40, 79-88 (Article in serial). SWX7425.

<3> Colquhoun, F D, Field Investigators Comments FDC, F1 FDC 17-NOV-51 (Unpublished document). SWX2609.

<4> Colquhoun, F D, Field Investigators Comments FDC, F2 FDC 28-NOV-51 (Unpublished document). SWX2609.

<4.1> Lavender, J, Oral: J Lavender (Curator), Red House Museum, Christchurch (Verbal communication). SWX3707.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 458858 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 28 2023 10:59AM