Monument record MWX3261 - Ridgeway Hill Barrow Group

C Warne excavated a barrow on Ridgeway Hill two miles south of Maiden Castle, which contained a primary inhumation with a deer's antler and several boar's teeth. At the foot of the skeleton was a cremation (secondary?) in a Mid Bronze Age collared urn. There were a serrated flint, an arrowhead and a perforated piece of boar's tusk (Warnes No 77, Sydenhams No 12). <4>

Bincombe 60a. Barrow on Ridgeway Hill (SY 6785) opened by Sydenham. In the centre was a cist about 6ft long cut into the chalk and lined with flat stones set on edge and covered by a large flat stone. This contained a primary inhumation with a deer's antler and several large boars teeth. At the foot of the skeleton was an Early/Mid Bronze Age collared urn containing a "secondary?" cremation, described by Sydenham (3) as the bones of some animal, probably fox or badger. There were also a triangular serrated stone spearhead, a flint arrowhead and a perforated piece of boar's tusk. <6>

C Warne opened a barrow on Ridgeway Hill which contained primary deposit of a Mid Bronze Age urn in a cist. No bones were found. (Warnes No 80, Sydenham's No 18). <4>

Bincombe 60c. A bowl shaped barrow about 8ft high on Ridgeway Hill (SY 6785) was opened by Sydenham and contained a solid cairn of flints, paved over with thin rough flat stones, which at its centre descended about 1ft 6ins below the ground level. Beneath the cairn was a cist 4ft long, 2ft wide and 1ft 6ins deep, formed of six large flat stones and containing an urn, considered by Grinsell to be a '? Food vessel', but nothing else. <6>

A barrow on Ridgeway Hill, opened by Mr Medhurst contained a primary extended inhumation with the remains of an infant by its side and inurned cremation between the legs. Around this skeleton were four (secondary?) graves each containing a skeleton - one with a pottery vessel, and the whole enclosed in a circle of stones. <4>

Bincombe 60d. Barrow on the Ridgeway (SY 6785) opened by Mr Medhurst. At the base of the tumulus was a circle of stones 2ft high, placed edgewise. In the centre was a primary extended inhumation with the remains of an infant beside it and a cremation in an urn, probably 'Early/Mid Bronze Age collared type', between its legs. Within the circle and around the skeleton were four 'secondary ?' cists about 3 1/2ft deep each containing a skeleton, one accompanied by a "small urn or drinking cup". Urn in Dorset County Museum. <6>

On Ridgeway Hill a Mr Shepherd opened a barrow, circa 1818, containing a Mid Bronze Age collared urn with lugs and unburnt human skull. In Bris(tol Museum ?). <4>

Bincombe 60e. The barrow on Ridgeway Hill (SY 6785) opened by Mr Shepherd contained a Mid/Late Bronze Age hybrid urn with
lugs, part of a 'Cornish' decorated urn, and unburnt human skull. In Bristol City Museum. <6>

C Warne excavated a barrow on Ridgeway Hill. It was small and contained a primary cremation in a Late Bronze Age urn in a cist. (Warne's No 79, Sydenham's No 17). <4>

"A low flat barrow, with an elevation scarcely perceptible" on Ridgeway Hill SY 6785) was opened by Sydenham. It had a small circular cist cut in the chalk, just large enough to contain a primary cremation which comprised an urn half full of burnt bones. The cist was covered by several flat stones. The urn is described by Authy 2 as a Deverel-Rimbury globular type while Grinsell <6> says it is a hybrid between barrel and globular type. <1-2> <6>

No further information was obtained upon this site during field investigation. It may apply to one of many barrows on Ridgeway Hill. <5>

Artefacts from Ridgeway Hill indicate activity from Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age. Close association between Bronze Age funerary monuments and ancient field system which still partially survives as earthworks. Substantial deposits of colluvium with high palaeo-environmental potential. <7>

Barrow cemetery developed over long period of time incorporating several remarkable barrows. Discovery of ditch to barrow 'DW26' indicates barrow larger than previously recorded with external diameter of 31m. Unscheduled barrow 'DW17' ploughed almost flat and no in situ mound. Circular ditch with external diameter of 19m. Off centre pit, possible secondary burial. Possible upright posts or palisades. Carbonised timbers found in 'DW18'. <8>

National Record of the Historic Environment, 452051 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

National Record of the Historic Environment, 452054 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

National Record of the Historic Environment, 452057 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

National Record of the Historic Environment, 452060 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<1> Warne, C, 1866, The Celtic Tumuli of Dorset (1866), tovp 48-9 (Monograph). SWX8166.

<2> Hawkes, C F C, 1933, Barrows. Antiquaries Journal 13, 447 (Article in serial). SWX4347.

<3> Payne, Eric, 1943, The Bincombe barrow, Ridgeway Hill, Dorset (Article in serial). SWX1024.

<4> Grinsell, L V, 1935-54, Dorset Barrows 1935-54 Manuscript (Unpublished document). SWX1556.

<4.1> Society of Antiquaries of London, 1844, Archaeologia 30, 334 (Serial). SDO18881.

<5> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 03-AUG-54 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<6> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 93 (Monograph). SDO132.

<6.1> Abercromby, J, 1912, A Study of the Bronze Age Pottery of Great Britain and Ireland, Plate xxix No 1 (Monograph). SDO10121.

<7> Mepham, L and Smith, R, 1993, A354-A353 Dorchester to Weymouth Road Improvements, Archaeological Field Evaluation (Unpublished document). SWX8609.

<8> Bellamy, P and Smith, R, 1994, A354-A353 Dorchester to Weymouth Road Improvements, Archaeological Field Evaluation - Trial Trenching (Unpublished document). SWX8614.

<9> Wessex Archaeology, 2011, South Dorset Ridgeway Barrow Survey 2010 (Unpublished document). SDO12407.

<10> National Record of the Historic Environment, 452048 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 23 2024 9:51AM