Monument record MDO8202 - Late prehistoric round barrow, Decoy Heath, Wareham St Martin

A circular mound is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of Decoy Heath, Wareham St Martin. It is considered possible this could be the remains of a late prehistoric round barrow.

'B' SY 91159027. Bowl barrow, 14 by 9 paces and 4ft. high appears as an irregular oval mound. (Wareham St. Martin barrow No. 1). <2>

R.C.H.M. state that Grinsell's Wareham St. Martin barrows Nos. 1 and 2 (A & B) are probably upcast from gravel digging. <3>

The mounds approximate the measurements given by Authority 2 except for 'A' which is 1.2m. in height. Both are doubtful barrows lying in low ground bordering marsh and within 10m. of two ponds.

'B', hummocky, irregular in plan (see sketch) and in appearance, less convincing than 'A'. Re-surveyed at 1:2500 on M.S.D. <4>

A circular mound, approximately 11.2m in diameter, is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of Decoy Heath, Wareham St Martin <5-6>. It is considered possible this could be the remains of a late prehistoric round barrow. This feature was digitally plotted during the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project. It is not visible on the most recent comprehensive aerial images available to the project.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1902 (Map). SWX1540.

('A' - SY 91189027; 'B' - SY 91159027) Tumuli (NR)

<2> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 139 (Monograph). SDO132.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 455 (Monograph). SDO150.

<4> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 12-FEB-81 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<5> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 5053-54 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13336.

<6> Royal Air Force, 09-APR-1956, RAF 158/1976 (F21) 0013-14 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13341.

<7> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 457411 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 27 2024 11:44AM