Monument record MDO4372 - Deverel Barrow, Milborne St Andrew

A round barrow recorded as being almost 14 metres in diameter and over 4 metres high before it was excavated in 1824. The excavators found a semi-circle of sarsen stones and a number of cremation burials. The site of the barrow is now inside a circular stone wall. The site is visible as a low earthwork mound with outer ditch on lidar imagery and was digitally recorded during the Dorset Upper Cern and Piddle AIM Project.

SY 81999900 Deverel Barrow was excavated by W A Miles in 1824 when it measured 54 ft diameter and 12 ft high. Within the mound and resting on the old ground surface was a semi-circle of sarsen stones. Each of these stones, with the exception of the two largest, covered cists cut into the chalk, containing, in total, some seventeen cremations in globular and bucket urns set upright. Near the largest sarsen stone lay a cremation, possibly primary,
in an inverted collared urn surrounded by flints. On the barrow floor were four more cremations in globular and bucket urns as well as four unaccompanied cremations. Five more chalk-cut cists containing cremation only, were also seen.

The globular and bucket urns and cremation ritual found within Deverel Barrow represented a culture phase within the Late Bronze Age period, now known as the Deverel-Rimbury culture (for Rimbury urnfield - see SY 68 SE 35).

Deverel Barrow is now almost entirely destroyed but its site is marked by a circular walled enclosure planted with trees. Inside, the only remains are a number of large stones on a slight mound. An inscribed stone recording the excavation was set up in 1827 but this is now fragmented. <4> <7-8>

The site of Deverel Barrow is as described by RCHM <7-8> except that the inscribed stone fragments cannot now be
identified. <9>

The site is visible as a low earthwork mound with outer ditch on lidar imagery <15> and was digitally recorded during the Dorset Upper Cern and Piddle AIM Project.

<1> Warne, C, 1866, The Celtic Tumuli of Dorset (1866), CTD59 (Monograph). SWX8166.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1893, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club, xx (Serial). SDO8.

<3> Hawkes, C F C, 1933, Barrows. Antiquaries Journal 13, 433-434 (Article in serial). SWX4347.

<4> Ashbee, P, 1960, The Bronze Age Round Barrow in Britain (Monograph). SDO19596.

<5> Royal Archaeological Institute, 1962, Archaeological Journal 119, 57 (Serial). SWX9169.

<6> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1968 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 81999900) Inscribed Stone on site of (NAT) Deverel Barrow (NR)

<7> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 181 (Monograph). SDO136.

'Deverel Barrow was opened by Miles in 1824. Inside, at ground level, was a semi-circle of sarsen stones, all except two, larger than the others, covering cists cut in chalk. (cf. W. Abbas (57) ). Near the largest stone lay a cremation, possibly primary, in an inverted collared urn surrounded by flints. The cists contained some seventeen cremations in globular and bucket urns set upright. As well, four with cremations, two without cremations, and four unaccompanied cremations lay on the barrow floor ; five other cists contained only cremations.'

<7.1> Miles, W A, 1826, Deverel Barrow (Monograph). SWX4500.

<8> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 182 (Monograph). SDO136.

'(30) Deverel Barrow (81999900) is now almost entirely destroyed ; its site is marked by a circular walled enclosure planted with trees. Inside, the only relics are a number of large stones on a slight mound. An inscribed stone recording the excavation was setup in 1827 but it is now in fragments. Diameter at time of excavation, 54 ft., height 12ft.'

<9> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 29-MAY-81 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<10> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BB69/01276 (Index). SDO14738.

DRAWING OF BARROW - TYPE SITE OF DEVEREL RIMBURY CULTURE FROM:- W.A.MILES 'THE DEVEREL BARROW' (1826)

<11> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BB86/05018 (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW OF ONE OF THE REMAINING SARSENS. THE REST OF THE BARROW SURVIVES AS A LOW MOUND. Donor: UNKNOWNCopyright: UNKNOWN

<12> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BB86/05019 (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW OF BARROW AREA SHOWING WALLED ENCLOSURE AND TREE COVER. Donor: UNKNOWNCopyright: UNKNOWN

<13> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BB86/05020 (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW OF BARROW, NOW LARGELY DESTROYED. SURVIVES AS A LOW MOUND WITH SARSENS WITHIN A WALLED ENCLOSURE. EXCAVATED IN 1824 BY MILES AND BECAME A TYPE SITE OF THE DEVEREL-RIMBURY BA CULTURE. Donor: UNKNOWNCopyright: UNKNOWN

<14> National Record of the Historic Environment, 455843 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<15> Environment Agency, 15-DEC-2023, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO20691.

Record last edited

Jul 22 2024 6:45PM