Monument record MDO7701 - Late prehistoric round barrow, Farm Heath, Easte Stoke

A late prehistoric round barrow situated on the summit of a knoll, overlooking the Piddle Valley to the north. The barrow has a mound composed of earth, sand and turf, with maximum dimensions of 13 metres in diameter and approximately 2 metres in height. The mound has a slit trench which relates to former military activities. It is surrounded by a ditch from which material was excavated during its construction. This has become infilled over the years but will survive as a buried feature 1.5 metres wide. Scheduled. A large circular mound is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of Farm Heath, East Stoke. It is possible this mound may have some association with the round barrow described above.

'C' - SY 88838788. Bowl barrow, 13.0m diameter and 2.3m high with slight unsurveyable trace of ditch on the south side. A slit trench has mutilated the top. <2>

Farm Heath Group of five barrows on slope dropping north towards River Piddle. 'C' - (45) SY 88848789 Ditched bowl barrow 46 ft diameter and 8 ft high. Much damaged and top excavated. <4>

'C'. SY 88838788. Destroyed by gravel working. 'C' deleted from M.S.D. <6>

A large circular mound, approximately 60.7m in diameter, is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of Farm Heath, East Stoke <9>. A late prehistoric round barrow is reported to be situated at this location and it is possible this mound may have some association with it. This feature was digitally plotted during the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project. It is one of a large group of potential late prehistoric barrows situated at this location (see also MDO7701-05 and MDO30236-41). This feature is not clearly visible on the most recent comprehensive aerial images available to the project, this area now being under dense scrub vegetation.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1938 (Map). SWX1540.

(Centred SY 891878) Tumulus (NR) (three times) Tumuli (NR) (twice)

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 29-JUL-52 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

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

('A' - SY 89278774; 'B' - SY 89038782; 'C' - 89838788) Tumulus (NR)

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1123553 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 452 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘Farm Heath Group (SY 88 NE). Five barrows on slope dropping N. towards River Piddle.
(45) Ditched bowl (88848789) on summit of knoll with steep fall to N. Diam. 46 ft., ht. 8 ft. Much damaged, top excavated.’

<5> Department of the Environment, 1977, Department of the Environment (IAM) Ancient Monuments of England Vol 2, 63 (Monograph). SWX2300.

<6> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F2 JGB 18-JUN-81 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<7> DCMS, 1997, Scheduled Monument Notification 1997, 15/10/1997 (Scheduling record). SDO17426.

<8> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<9> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 6409-10 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13207.

<10> National Record of the Historic Environment, 455177 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 20 2025 1:18PM