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Selworthy Beacon

Barrow / Cairn Cemetery

Miscellaneous

Details of burial cairns on Pastscape

A group of 11 well preserved Bronze Age burial cairns on Selworthy Beacon.

Minehead Without 1. At SS 91884799 a mound 20 paces across by 3 feet
high, probably a barrow.
Minehead Without 2. At SS 92184803 is a bowl barrow 13 paces across
by 3.5 ft high with a hollow centre.
Minehead Without 3. At SS 92304804 is a bowl barrow 13 paces across
by 2.5 ft high with a hollow centre.
Minehead Without 4. At SS 92334801 is a truncated bowl barrow 15
paces x 2 ft.
Minehead Without 4a. At SS 92484798 is a hollow centred barrow 10
paces x 3 ft.
Minehead Without 4b. At SS 92544796 is a hollow centred barrow 16
paces by 3 ft.
Minehead Without 5. At SS 92494791 is a barrow 13 paces across by 4
ft high with a hollow centre (the heap to the west may be a robbers'
spoil heap).
Minehead Without 6. At SS 92504792 is a mound but it is uncertain
whether it is a robbers' spoil heap or a round barrow.
Minehead Without 7. At SS 92554790 is a barrow 16 pace x 1 ft high.
Minehead Without 8. At SS 92604785 [No other information].
Minehead Without 9. At SS 92604783 [No other information]. (1)

Grinsell's Nos 2,3,4,5,7, and 8 are published on OS 25".
1 at 'A' SS 91884798 is Selworthy Beacon. A modern cairn stands on
what may be the remains of a truncated cairn though it may only be a
beacon platform.
2 at 'B' SS 92174804 and 3 at 'C' SS 92294803 are undisturbed bowl
barrows.
4a at 'D' SS 92404803 is a bowl barrow with a hollow centre.
4b at 'E' SS 92414802 and 8 at 'L' SS 92604783 are truncated bowl
barrows.
5 at 'F' SS 92504790 is probably a pair of confulent bowl barrows. Theeastern one has a large hole in the centre and overlies a smaller bowlto the west at SS 92494790 (considered by Grinsell to be a spoil
heap).
4 at 'G' SS 92314801 and 7 at 'H' SS 92544789 are both truncated
cairns.
A small low heather covered mound at 'K' SS 92414797 is rather
doubtful bowl barrow.
6 at 'J' SS 92514790 is a rectangular mound and is almost centainly
material taken from the centre of 5.
'M' a further barrow published to the south west of 8 has been
completely destroyed.
See GPs AO/65/177/3-8 and AO/65/180 3-8
Surveyed at 1:2500. (2)

('B' SS 921174804; 'C' SS 92294803; 'D' SS 92414803) Tumuli (NR)
('F' SS 92504790) Tumuli (NR)
('G' SS 92314801) Cairn (NR)
('H' SS 92544789) Cairn (NR)
('L' SS 92604783) Tumulus (NR) (3)

'A' SS 91884799. Minehead Without 1. Selworthy Beacon listed as
Authy. 1. Probably used as a beacon.
'B' SS 92174804. Minehead Without 2. As Authy 1.
'C' SS 92294804. Minehead Without 3. As Authy 1.
'G' SS 92324801. Minehead Without 4. As Authy 1.
'D' SS 92404803. Minehead Without 5. Bowl barrow 10 pace diameter 2
ft high with hollow in centre.
'E' SS 92424803. Minehead Without 6. Bowl barrow 16 paces diameter, 3ft high with large hollow in centre.
'K' SS 92414797. Minehead Without 7. Bowl barrow.
'F' SS 92514791. Minehead Without 8. Bowl barrow 13 paces diameter
and 3 ft high.
'F' SS 92504791. Minehead Without 8a. Mound ?10 paces diameter, 2 ft
high, with very large hollow in centre. Uncertain whether a barrow ora spoil heap from No 8.
'J' SS 92524791. Minehead Without 8b. Mound 2 ft high. Uncertain
whether a barrow or spoil heap from No 8.
'H' SS 92554790. Minehead Without 9. Bowl barrow 16 paces diameter
and 2 ft high.
'L' SS 92604783. Minehead Without 10. Bowl barrow 17 paces diameter
and 1 ft high with slight hollow in centre.
'M' SS 92604784. Minehead Without 10a. Mound marked on OS 6", not
now visible.
Nos 1-6 and 8-10 visited by Grinsell 11th September 1959.
Two or three barrows of this group were opened in 1807 by Richard
Fenton (b) with no result excepting charcoal only. (4)

SS 925479. Group of cairns east of Selworthy Beacon. Scheduled. (5)
A mound, possibly a barrow has been located at SS 9261 4787 and is 13 paces in diameter. (6)

This group of Bronze Age burial cairns were recorded as part of the RCHME Exmoor project. The cairns were located using differential GPS and are described under the following records: SS 94 NW 102-112 inclusive. Apart from SS 94 NW 112, which has been destroyed and is now only recorded from documentary sources, the monuments are well preserved, and form an impressive linear group of cairns on the ridge leading up to the summit at Selworthy Beacon. The ridge looks out over the Bristol Channel to S Wales on the north, and over to Dunkery Beacon to the south (7).
Chance Posted by Chance
17th December 2014ce

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