Monument record MDO7207 - Bowl barrow, one of the Bloxworth Down Group, Bloxworth

Bowl barrow, one of the Bloxworth Down Group. In 1970 this monument was recorded as about 55 feet in diameter, but ploughed almost flat. Ordnance Survey air photographs show the distinct cropmark of a circular ditch.

'A' - 'D', 'H' - 'M', bowl barrows with diameters ranging from 10-23 paces and heights from 6 inches to 6 feet. LBA sherds were found on 'H' by L.V.Grinsell in 1954. 'G' and 'F' are probable bowl barrows. (8)

Sitings as above except 'H' : SY 87679628; 'K' : SY 87669620 'L' : SY 87709619; 'G' : SY 87649628; 'F' : SY 87639629. A group of twelve barrows comprising eight definite bowl barrows - 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'H', 'J', 'K', and 'L'; three probable bowl barrows - 'F', 'G' and 'M'; a disc-barrow - 'E'. The group is visible on air-photographs. 'F', 'H' and 'M' are ploughed out; the bank and ditch of 'E' is only partly visible. A 25" survey has been made. (10)

See attached concordance of barrows on Bloxworth Down as listed by Grinsell and RCHM. See plan (authy 11) (11 and 15)

('A': SY 87679623; 'B': SY 87699621; 'C': SY 87729623; 'D': SY 87689625; 'E'; SY 87709628; 'G': SY 87659628; 'J': SY 87709623; 'K': SY 87669619; 'L': SY 87699619) Tumuli (NR) (12)

Save for 'K' and 'L', the majority of this group is currently inaccessible. It is notable that air photographs (J) and (K) show a field system SY 89 NE 18 (now ploughed out) where some field boundaries terminated on barrows (see sketch plan). … 'F' and 'G'. Not visible, but one mound surveyed by Authority (11) and lettered 'G'.

Accepted as two barrows by Grinsell, and RCHM ('ploughed flat').

OS air photographs show the distinct cropmark of the ditch of one bowl (?) barrow, about 35 metres overall diameter and centred at SY 87629628. The cropmark of the mound is visible as two separate parts, the result of a bisecting trench, about 8 metres wide, set in a N.E./S.W. direction. Since the barrow was not portrayed on the OS 25" 1901, it seems that little was then visible and the excavation trench was probably of 19th century origin.

The diameters of 'k' and 'L' correspond with those depicted on 1:2500 on M.S.D.

Barrows, other than 'A', 'B' and 'C' which are clearly extant, have been retained on the M.S.D. pending future investigation. (18)

<1> Hutchins, J, 1774, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. Volume 1. 1st edition, 102 4 (Monograph). SWX2949.

<2> Proceedings of the Archaeological Institute, 93 1849 (Serial). SDO19703.

<3> Society of Antiquaries of London, 1871, Archaeologia 43, 495 (Serial). SDO17248.

<4> Warne, C, 1888, Pamphlets and notices, 14 (Monograph). SDO17114.

<5> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1902 (Map). SWX1540.

['A' : SY 87679623; 'B': SY 87699621; 'C' : SY 87729623; 'D' : SY 87689625; 'E' : SY 87709628.] TUMULI [OE]

<6> Abercromby, J, 1912, A Study of the Bronze Age Pottery of Great Britain and Ireland, 65 2 (Monograph). SDO10121.

<7> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 3344-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19635.

<8> Grinsell, L V, 1935-54, Dorset Barrows 1935-54 Manuscript (Unpublished document). SWX1556.

<9> Society of Antiquaries of London, 1935, Archaeologia 85, 217 (Serial). SDO19666.

<10> Swatridge, G C, Various, Field Investigators Comments GCS, F1 GCS 1954-11-09 (Unpublished document). SWX1169.

<11> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 94 (Monograph). SDO132.

<12> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

<13> Clay, Dr, Annotated Record Map 6" (Dorset County Museum), pte 6" 1963 (Map). SDO18027.

<14> National Monuments Record, 28-MAR-1968, NMR 68/040-47 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18043.

<15> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 440 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘Bloxworth Down Group (SY 89 NE). Fifteen barrows, including one disc or bell-disc, and comprising all the barrows in the parish, lie on a N. slope at the W. end of a chalk ridge between 170 ft. and 236 ft. above O.D.; (29) is on the highest point in the parish, and ten others cluster N. and E. of it. … Two have been destroyed and all but (29) and (30) are badly damaged by ploughing, as are adjacent 'Celtic' fields (Group 33). … (36) Barrow (?) (87619629) 80 yds. N.W. of (35). Diam. about 55 ft., but ploughed almost flat.’

<16> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Records, SY 89 NE 22f (Index). SDO131.

<17> Ordnance Survey, 18-APR-1980, OS 80/021 218-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19641.

<18> Attrill, N J, Field Investigators Comments NJA, F2 NJA 1981-05-27 (Unpublished document). SDO14743.

<19> DCMS, 1998, Scheduled Monument Notification 1998 (Scheduling record). SWX1137.

<20> National Monuments Record, 06-JUN-2007, NMR 24629/48 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19895.

<21> Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia (Article in serial). SDO20195.

<22> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<23> National Record of the Historic Environment (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 20 2025 2:46PM