Monument record MDO8625 - Barrow 7, Hengistbury Head

Site of a Bronze Age round barrow, excavated in 1911-12 by Bushe-Fox. No central burial was located, but at least 15 secondary cremation deposits were found, some associated with pottery vessels including collared urns. At least one urn was found beneath the ground surface under the mound. There were also small sunken pockets of burnt material. Other finds include a flint burin said to be of Palaeolithic date. Ordnance Survey field investigation in 1954 described the barrow as an earthwork mound 10 metres in diameter and 1 metre high, although it appears to have been substantially larger when excavated. The round barrow is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of 1947.

(SZ 17269069) (One of group of four) Tumuli (NR) (1)

A barrow situated near the highest point of the Head, measuring
about 100 ft in diameter and 6 ft high. Fully excavated 1911-12.
It was largely composed of sand with a profusion of flints, a number being artefacts; and contained three cremated burials, in two overhanging-rim urns and one large two-handled urn, and probably 4 other urns (in whole or in part). There were also small sunken 'pockets' containing burnt matter. <1>

A mutilated heather-covered mound. Diam 10.0m, Ht 1.0m. <3>

No change. Published 1:2500 survey revised. <4>

Barrow 7 (Bushe Fox barrow II) A round barrow 30m in diameter, 2m high. No description of the mound was given during excavation, but it is known that at least one urn was found beneath the old ground surface. No central burial was located but at least 15 secondary cremations were noted. Vessel types recorded include a biconical urn of the Trevisker series, collared urns and food vessels. Flint implements including a Palaeolithic burin were also recovered. (5)

This round barrow is situated on the northern part of Warren Hill, Hengistbury Head, one of a group of four adjacent barrows or mounds. It was about 30 metres in diameter and about 2 metres high. It was excavated as Barrow II by H. Bushe-Fox in 1911. No description of the excavation was given, but at least one urn was found at a level below the old ground surface. No central burial was found, but at least seven probably secondary burials were found in pots in the western half of the mound. In addition eight small groups of burnt material, seven in a tight group in the eastern part of the mound, may represent further uncontained cremations. The pottery recovered from the barrows included a biconical urn of the Trevisker series, part of a collared urn and two food vessels of rather crude manufacture. A large quantity of worked flint was found, most of which does not survive, but included residual Upper Paleolithic artefacts. <5>

The round barrow is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of 1947 <6>. The barrow is formed of a sub-circular mound measuring 25 m in diameter. A linear ditch can be seen in the centre of the mound and what appears to be a cut into the south western quadrant. These features are both probably the results of the excavations.

The site is still visible on the most recent comprehensive aerial imagery available to the project <7>. This site was digitally plotted during the South West rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset).

<1> Bushe-Fox, J P, 1915, Excavations at Hengistbury Head, Hampshire in 1911-12, pgs 19-20 (Monograph). SWX7422.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1931 (Map). SWX1540.

<3> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 15-JUL-54 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<4> Aldsworth, F G, Various, Field Investigators Comments FGA, F2 FGA 19-MAR-69 (Unpublished document). SWX1161.

<5> Cunliffe, B, 1987, Hengistbury Head, Dorset. 1: The Prehistoric and Roman Settlement, 3500BC- AD500, Excavations at Crouch Hill, 1921, 1969. in Oxford University Committee for Archaeology monograph series Vol no.13 Page(s) 40-7, 50-51 (Monograph). SWX4038.

<6> Royal Air Force, 20-OCT-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2370 PART 1 5026-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12729.

<7> XX-XXX-2009, Google Earth (Aerial Photograph). SDO12705.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 458736 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 23 2024 3:41PM