Monument record MDO7317 - Bowl barrow in Blackhills Plantation, Church Knowle

A Bronze Age round barrow first recorded in the 1950s. In 1970 this monument was reported as 75 feet in diameter with a mound about 9 feet high and surrounded by a ditch.

Two round barrows discovered by PA Brown in Blackhills Plantation. <1>

SY 92768312. Church Knowle 11. Ditched, planted with trees. <2>

Two bowl barrows in Blackhills Plantation. 'B' is situated on a knoll above steep slopes to the north and north-east. It is 75 feet in diameter by 9 feet high, with a flattened top and a ditch 9 feet wide by up to 2 1/2 feet deep. <4>

'B' SY 92758311. An impressive ditched round barrow approximately 30.5m in overall diamteter and from 2.0m to 3.4m high. Under bramble and surrounded by conifers. It has been built on the edge of the highpoint of the spur and part of the mound lies on the steep north-facing slope hence the difference in heights. The ditch on the top is up to 0.5m deep whilst on the downhill side it becomes a 3.5m wide terrace. This false crest position appears to be intentional since there is room on the flat hill top for the complete feature.

A ditched round barrow to the north (SY 98 SW 43 ©) and a large mound/? Barrow (SY 98 SW 68) are both sited in similar false crest positions.

The prominent position of both barrows afford panoramic views in mostdirections especially to the north. Published 1:2500 survey correct. <6>

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1953, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1952, 93 (Serial). SDO52.

'Two unrecorded round-barrows at Blackhills Plantation, Cotness (Church Knowle).

Mr Brown informs me that he has located two unrecorded round-barrows near the top of the steep northern slope of the hill at Blackhills Plantation. He states that the larger of the two is 75 ft. in diameter and surrounded by an 8 ft. wide ditch, and its height is some 8 ft. above ground level on the upper (southern) side. A relatively old fir plantation surrounds the barrow, and some trees are planted on it; SY(30)/92768312.

The smaller barrow, some 15 ft. in diameter and 3 ft. high, is about 100 yards to the S.W.; 92668306.'

<2> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 101 (Monograph). SDO132.

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

(SY 92548310 & SY 92758311) Tumulus (NR) (twice)

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 442 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘(44) Ditched bowl (SY 98 SW; 92768311) in Blackhills Plantation 250 yds. E. of (43) on knoll above steep slopes to N. and N.E. Diam. 75 ft., ht. 9 ft., with flattened top and ditch 9 ft. wide and up to 2½ ft. deep.’

<5> Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey, IOP 227 (Index). SDO147.

'Situated in a mature coniferous woodland, several trees and bracken grow from the mound. A track surrounds the barrow, and the ditch has been infilled by the construction of this feature. The top of the mound is flat but the rest of the barrow's surface is only damaged by tree roots.'

<6> Fletcher, Martin, Field investigator's comments MJF, F1 MJF 30-APR-86 (Unpublished document). SDO17630.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 456882 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 23 2023 3:43PM