Monument record MDO20 - Barrow on Wears Hill, Abbotsbury

A Bronze Age bowl barrow, one of a group running along the ridge of Wears Hill and White Hill. In 1952 this monument was reported as being reduced to a shallow mound between 30 and 40 feet in diameter.

('A' - SY 55968625, - 'B' - SY 55998623; 'C' - SY 56108622) Tumuli (NR) (1)

'D' - SY 56018621?; 'E' - SY 56168625?; 'F' - SY56108625?; 'G' - SY 56148623?

All bowl barrows; barrows D-G noted by RCHM.
'A' Quarried away before 1939.
'B' Diameter 15 paces, height 31/2 ft, with slight ditch on the SE.
'C' Diameter 16 paces, height 4 ft.
'D' Diameter 5 paces, height 1 ft.
'E' Diameter 12 paces, height 3 ins.
'F' Diameter 4 paces, height 1 ft.
'G' Diameter 4 paces, height 1 ft. (2)

Similar information and positions approximate to those given above except that barrow 'F' is only 10 yds N of barrow 'C'.
(3).

'D' - SY 56018621; 'E' - SY 56168623; 'F' - SY 56118623; 'G' - SY 56148622.
'A'. Surface quarrying has obliterated all trace.
'B' and 'C'. Two grass and heather covered bowl barrows each 13.0m diameter and 1.4m and 2.0m high respectively. 'B' has a trench dug in from the west and a ditch on the east side. 'C' has a flat top and no visible ditch.

'D' and 'F'. Two doubtful bowl barrows. The mounds are 5.0m and 3.0m in diameter and 0.4m and 0.3m high respectively. They are near circular and without ditches. 'D' is heather covered and is situated in uneven ground whilst 'F' may be spoil from the flat topped mound of 'C',

'E' and 'G'. Two grass covered, probable bowl barrows, 11.0m and 5.0m diameter, and 0.5m and 0.3m high respectively.
'E' has a much mutilated centre. 'G' is well shaped. Ditchless. (4)

'A' - SY 55968625. Abbotsbury 6.
'B' - SY 55998623. Abbotsbury 7.
'C' - SY 56108623. Abbotsbury 8.
'D' - SY 56018621? Abbotsbury 13.
'E' - SY 56168625? Abbotsbury 14.
'F' - SY 56108625? Abbotsbury 15.
'G' - SY 56148623? Abbotsbury 16.
Bowl barrows listed, details as Authy 2. (5)

('A' - SY 55968625) Tumulus (NR) (site of) (NAT)
('B' - SY 55998623; 'C' - SY 56108622) Tumulus (NR) (twice). (6)

SY 560863. Two round barrows on Wears Hill, Scheduled. (Barrows 'B' and 'C'). (7)

Grinsell recorded this barrow as 12 paces in diameter and 0.25 feet in height. <2>

National Record of the Historic Environment, 450353 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1903 (Map). SWX1540.

Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1967 (Map). SWX1540.

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

Swatridge, G C, Various, Field Investigators Comments GCS, F1 GCS 21-MAR-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1169.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 11 (Monograph). SDO97.

'BARROWS, on or near the ridgeway running along Wears Hill and White Hill on the N. side of the parish, form three groups. The first group consists of seven barrows with a possible outlier to the S. ... (g), 17 yards N.E. of (f), is nearly obliterated but was about 30 to 40 ft. in diam. …'

<2> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 85 (Monograph). SDO132.

Record last edited

Jan 23 2024 4:25PM