Monument record MDO1051 - Bowl barrow on Conygar Hill, Dorchester

One of two adjacent Bronze Age bowl barrows aligned east-west on Conygar Hill, both of which are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and LIDAR. Situated on the parish boundary between Dorchester and Winterborne Herringston. In 1970 this monument was reported as 75 feet in diameter with a mound about 11½ feet high. Excavated by antiquarian Edward Cunnington, who found an inhumation burial about four feet above the original ground surface, and a cremation.

'A'. Bowl barrow (69708895) on crest of Conygar Hill on Bagshot Sands 280 ft. above O.D. and on parish boundary with Winterborne Herringston. Diam. 75 ft., ht. 11 1/2 ft. Excavated by Cunnington, who found an inhumation lying North.-South. About 4 ft. above the original ground surface, with a nearby cremation. <1> <3>

'A' SY 69698894. Bowl barrow; diameter 26.5m, height 4.3m, with a flat top 5.0m by 3.0m. Neither barrow has a visible ditch, and although both have been slightly mutilated neither has been ploughed. Re-surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD. <4>

One of two adjacent Bronze Age bowl barrows (MDO1051 & MDO1052) aligned east-west on Conygar Hill, both of which are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and LIDAR. <5-6>

<1> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 105 (Monograph). SDO132.

‘On WINTERBORNE HERRINGSTON bdry. Opened by EC: ‘at 7ft. from surface, a male adult skeleton placed N-S; and close by, a cremation’, primary or secondary? Cunnington Mss., no. 3; Dorset Proc xxxvii, 41.’

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

('A' SY 69698895, 'B' SY 69798894) Tumuli (NR)

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 444 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘(168) Bowl (SY 68 NE; 699708895) on crest of Conygar Hill on Bagshot Sands 280 ft. above O.D. and on parish boundary with Winterborne Herringston. Diam. 75 ft., ht. 11½ ft. Excavated by Cunnington, who found an inhumation lying N.-S. about 4 ft. above the original ground surface, with a nearby cremation.’

<4> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 05-JUN-80 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<5> Royal Air Force, 28-MAY-1949, RAF 58/271 (F14) 5160-61 (Aerial Photograph). SDO10914.

<6> 21-FEB-2008, D0089663 (Aerial Photograph). SDO10908.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 451972 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 13 2024 11:31AM