Monument record MDO2162 - Round barrow with retaining stone circle, Poxwell

Round Barrow (SY 74518357) situated on crest of E-W limestone ridge just under 400 ft Turf-covered mound now oval, about 63ft E-W and 44 ft N-S with almost flat top, offset to E, about 2 ft. high. On E side of top, at probable approximate centre of an original circular mound, is exposed a continuous ring of stones, 14ft. In diam.

The stones are a 'recrystallised variety of sarsen's On S. some stand up to 2 1/2 ft. high, while on N they are virtually flush with the surface. The spaces between all are packed with small limestone rubble. The four stones peripheral to mound on the W. seem more likely to be from this circle than to belong to an outer peristalith. No ditch is visible. A later boundary bank runs along N. side.<2> <4>

SY 74518357. A mound as described by <4> 18.0m. By 13.5m. On top of the mound, offset to the east end, is a circle of stones, diameter 5.0m., as described by <4>. Re-surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD. <5>

A round barrow with retaining stone circle, visible on aerial photographs <1> <10> and digitally plotted during the South Dorset Ridgeway Mapping Project.

<1> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 4443-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11784.

<2> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 128 (Monograph). SDO132.

<3> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 74528358) Cairn Circle (NR)

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 450 (Monograph). SDO150.

'(12) Barrow (SY 78 SW; 74518357; Plate 211), situated on crest of E.-W. limestone ridge just under 400 ft. Turf-covered mound now oval, about 63 ft. E.-W. and 44 ft. N.-S., with almost flat top, offset to E.; about 2 ft. high. On E. side of top, at probable approximate centre of an original circular mound, is exposed a continuous ring of stones, 14 ft. in diam. (cf. Bincombe (24), Group (R.8), Weymouth, p. 456). The stones are a 'recrystallised variety of sarsen' (Arkell, 241). On S. some stand up to 2½ ft. high, while on N. they are virtually flush with the surface. The spaces between all are packed with small limestone rubble. The four stones peripheral to mound on the W. seem more likely to be from this circle than to belong to an outer peristalith. No ditch is visible (but cf. Hutchins I, 408; Warne, Ancient Dorset, 119–20). A later boundary bank runs along N. side. (Dorset Procs. VI (1884), 55–7; Reliquary, XI (1870–1), 154–7.)'

<5> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 24-SEP-80 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<6> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<7> Historic England, Historic England Archive, CC72/01483 (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW OF ROUND BARROW WHICH NOW SURVIVES AS A SMALL CIRCLE OF STONES. THREE STONES THAT ARE A SHORT DISTANCE TO THE WEST CAN BE SEEN IN THE FOREGROUND

<8> Historic England, Historic England Archive, CC72/01484 (Index). SDO14738.

ROUND BARROW WHICH NOW SURVIVES AS A CIRCLE OF STONES VIEW FROM NORTH-WEST

<9> Historic England, Historic England Archive, F54/188/8 (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW OF BARROW NOW SURVIVING AS A SMALL CIRCLE OF STONES

<10> 15-FEB-2005, NMR SY 7483/3-7 (23746/9-13) (Aerial Photograph). SDO11789.

<11> National Record of the Historic Environment, 454407 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 24 2025 10:44AM