Monument record MWX614 - Bronze Age bowl barrow, St Aldhelm's Head, Worth Matravers

A bowl barrow on St Aldhelm's Head which was recorded by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England in 1970. It has a mound composed of limestone and earth, with maximum dimensions of 15 metres in diameter and about 1 metre in height. Surrounding the mound is a quarry ditch which has become infilled over the years, but will survive as a buried feature 1.5 metres wide. Partial excavations were conducted at the site by JH Austin in 1850. These revealed a central stone-filled pit, above which were seven or eight inhumations, three of which were extended. Four skulls were set around the feet of one inhumation and these were also associated with a glass bead and a crushed urn. A quantity of Romano-British pottery was also discovered in the upper levels of the mound.

SY 96337579. Bowl barrow, 45ft diameter and 5ft high situated on the edge of almost flat downland and within 'Celtic' Field area (see SY 97 NE 21). Excavation by Austen in 1850 revealed, at or about ground level and over a stone-filled pit, the remains of seven or eight inhumations, at least three being extended. Four skulls lay together over the feet of one inhumation. The only associated finds were a round-headed bone pin and a `green glass bead' with a crushed urn, probably a degenerate short-necked beaker. Upright stone slabs, perhaps of an original cist were associated with the burials. Above this was a 6 inch thick layer of stones, and just below the surface, a 2ft thick layer of stones and earth which contained a samian sherd, a 'considerable quantity' of other Romano-British sherds Kimmeridge shale fragments and five coins dating from Trajan to Tetricus. <2>

No change: situated in rough pasture. 1:2500 survey revised. <3>

Information from English Heritage Schedule Entry. (4)

The barrow mound is visible as a low earthwork on aerial photographs <5-6> and was digitally mapped during the South West Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset).

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 96337596) Tumulus (NR)

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 474 (Monograph). SDO150.

<2.1> Shipp, W, and Hodson, J W (eds), 1861, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. 3rd edition. Volume 1, 704-5 (Monograph). SWX4496.

<3> Wardale, C F, Various, Field Investigators Comments CFW, F1 CFW 05-FEB-1986 (Unpublished document). SWX2704.

<4> DCMS, 2000, Scheduled Monument Notification 2000, 14-MAR-2000 (Scheduling record). SWX2721.

<5> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 1398-99 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12897.

<6> National Monuments Record, 21-FEB-2000, NMR SY9676/8-10 (NMR 18720/10-13) (Aerial Photograph). SDO12898.

<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, 456407 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 7 2024 8:46AM