Monument record MWX3527 - Portland: Cists at Breakwater Quarries, Grove

Nearly 200 graves are said to have been found in the Breakwater quarries, now playing fields opposite the Clifton Hotel, by the young offender's institution. Most of these were stone cists.

Nearly 200 cists were found in 1851 during quarrying operations at the Breakwater Quarries on Portland, approximately 300ft above sea level Some of the short cist had single cover stones in some cases with single slabs for sides, these had skeletons with their knees drawn up, the others were extended in normal cists. A sketch made at the time by Poppleton, indicates a width of 4ft inches for a 7ft 3inch cist. The burials were from 1 yard to 20 yards apart, the orientation was not stated for all of the cists, but some short cists had the head to the N. Some of the burials had grave goods consisting of black vessels and red ware dishes (one of which probably samian with a leaf-decoration on the rim) . A skull of a calf and a quern-stone also came from the graves.(1) Some double graves with metal equipment, coins and part of a bronze mirror found in 1875 may be from this area according to Clifton (2)

1872, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol 28 Clifton, p204-205 (Article in serial). SWX1995.

Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3 (Monograph). SDO150.

DCC SMR, to 2003, Former DCC SMR Card Index (Index). SWX8285.

Record last edited

Jan 7 2009 10:06AM