Monument record MDO8751 - Bell barrow by the rifle range on St Catherine's Hill, Christchurch

Possible bell barrow damaged by bull-dozing. The monument is visible on 1920s and 1940s aerial photographs and current Lidar imagery and was digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

A bell barrow, with well formed ditch and a slight dip in the centre of the mound. Mound 30ft in diameter and 2ft high; berm 16ft wide; ditch 12ft wide and 6ins deep. (2)

Bell barrow mutilated by bull-dozing. (3)

No evidence can now be seen to confirm that this feature is a bell-barrow. It comprises a mound some 20.0m in diameter by 1.1m in height surrounded by a ditch some 3.5m in width and 0.5m deep. Air Ministry AP (see Illustration Card) shows a smaller, circular feature overlaying the ditch on the north-west side but apart from a break in the ditch it is not visible on the ground. As a bell-barrow it is somewhat smaller than the majority of the examples in Wessex but it is difficult to refute Grinsells evidence of a berm. Published 1:2500 revised. (4)

SZ 143951. A heather and tree covered round barrow, on St Catherine's Hill is 20m diameter and 1.0m high with a shallow depression in the centre and partly surviving encircling ditch 3.5m wide and 0.5m deep. The track on the east side has removed an area of ditch. This feature may be a bell barrow. Scheduled No 835 (Dorset). (5)

The feature is visible on 1920s and 1940s aerial photographs (6 and 7) and on current Lidar imagery (8). The monument is particularly well shown on a 1925 aerial photograph (6) where it appears to comprise the remains of a banked central mound surrounded by a narrow external ditch. The mound is intruded on at its southeast side by the corner of a square structure (MDO39791); a probable modern reservoir (6). There is a 3m circular depression just offcentre to the top of the mound and adjacent to the mound on its northwest side is a 5.5m by 4m semi-circular banked mound with external ditch; it is not clear whether this abutts the larger mound or is truncated by it.

The site is under tree cover on a 2014 VAP (9) and not visible.

The features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1931-38 (Map). SWX1540.

Tumulus (NR)

<2> Grinsell, L V, 1940, Hampshire Barrows; Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society 14, p213 (Article in serial). SWX3470.

<3> Aldsworth, F G, Various, Field Investigators Comments FGA, F2 FGA 20-MAR-69 (Unpublished document). SWX1161.

<4> Aldsworth, F G, Various, Field Investigators Comments FGA, F2 FGA 02-APR-69 (Unpublished document). SWX1161.

<5> Department of the Environment, 1977, Department of the Environment (IAM) Ancient Monument Record Form, Bell Barrow (Unpublished document). SWX3890.

<5.1> Aitken, P, 1974, The Historic Monuments on St Catherine's Hill (Monograph). SWX8268.

<6> Crawford, 26-NOV-25, SZ/1495/1 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15630.

<7> Royal Air Force, 12-DEC-46, RAF/CPE/UK/1893 RP 3271-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15623.

<8> Environment Agency, XX-XXX-2015, Environment Agency DTM Lidar 50cm (Aerial Photograph). SDO15306.

<9> GetMapping, 2014, Digital vertical aerial photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDO14101.

<10> Jefferies, Jeff, 1999, The Barrows of Christchurch. Their Past, Present and Future, Appendix 1. Barrow Record 10 (Unpublished document). SDO20590.

<11> National Record of the Historic Environment, 458464 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 20 2024 11:14AM