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Round Hill Tump

Round Barrow(s)

<b>Round Hill Tump</b>Posted by ChanceImage © Chance - Aug 2008
Also known as:
  • Rowberrow
  • Woodborough
  • Norton Radstock 1

Nearest Town:Radstock (1km S)
OS Ref (GB):   ST69005617 / Sheet: 172
Latitude:51° 18' 11.71" N
Longitude:   2° 26' 41.05" W

Added by formicaant


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Archaeological Open Day


Sat 17 July 10.00 - 16.00
Upper Row Farm, Laverton, Near Bath

Join us for a day of activities for all the family. Join the Roman children's army have a go at excavation and see a roundhouse.

Bath and Camerton Archaeological Society (BACAS)
07977 176402
bathandcam@hotmail.com
continues...
Chance Posted by Chance
5th July 2010ce

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<b>Round Hill Tump</b>Posted by Chance <b>Round Hill Tump</b>Posted by Chance <b>Round Hill Tump</b>Posted by Chance <b>Round Hill Tump</b>Posted by Chance <b>Round Hill Tump</b>Posted by Chance

Fieldnotes

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Field Notes

Round Hill Tump - ST 6900 5617 - Aug 2008

Ordnance Survey Explorer Map 142 - Scale 1:25000
Shepton Mallet & Mendip Hills East inc. Frome & Midsomer Norton.
ISBN 978-0-319-46154-9

After looking at both references to this site on TMA database, I feel this one is the most appropiate in terms of name and grid reference, although Rhiannon's Camerton Round Barrow site No.5698, is older.
Like a lot of ancient sites, it has become the boundary marker because it was here before anything else.

As to the name, I'm going for Round Hill Tump, as it lies in a field called the "Tump Ground". Rhiannon's name of "Camerton Round Barrow" is a little confusing. The village of Camerton lies 2 miles north of the site, on the other side of the Roman Road, the Fosse Way (the modern A367). The area was partially excavated by W.J. Wedlake and a report was published in 1958 entitled 'Excavations at Camerton 1926-56'. The nearest village is Clandon. The whole hill is called Round Hill and the course of the Fosse Way makes straight for the top of it.

My route to the site was along the bottom of the valley from Stoney Littleton Long Barrow and the Sustrans cyclepath href="http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/BathNES/transportandstreets/walkingandcycling/cycling/NCN24.htm">The Colliers Way - National Cycle Network Route 24.

From the middle of Radstock, I took the Bath Old Road, behind the museum and up the side of Round Hill. The road is very steep to begin with but once past the sports field, it levels off a bit.
The "Tump" is easily spotted from the road and a gate was conveniently placed for access.

As to the mound itself, it is unusual. It certainly isn't your average bowl or bell type of round barrow and it didn't seem to have any form of ditch or bank (although there probably was one formed to create the structure. Maybe it was such a bowl barrow to begin with and it was added to at a later date. Colt Hoare also noted such strange barrows and called them "Conical Barrows". The only other one I have encountered like this is known as Mount Wood and lies on the Marlborough Downs near Yatesbury.

I think the TMA Eds will probably re-list it as a disputed antiquity after reading this, although I do hope they find the time to merge it with Rhiannon's Camerton Round Barrow, site No.5698.
Chance Posted by Chance
15th October 2008ce
Edited 16th October 2008ce

Folklore

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From Somerset Brrows by L.V.Grinsell.
This is said to contain the remains of a saxon chief killed in battle, or of soldiers killed in a battle. An oak or elm, which grew on this barrow until 1937, is said to have bled when cut with a knife.
Wedlake, W.J. (1958) and Tongue, R.L. (1965).
formicaant Posted by formicaant
6th January 2008ce

Miscellaneous

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This barrow was opened by the rev J.Skinner in 1815. He employed two colliers from 22nd until 30th September. They tunnelled into the centre but "the interment was gone; there was no cist, only a hole in the soil". There was a burnt layer on the original turf-line which revealed a structure of stones with a revetment wall on the north side, and a quarry on the south side from which some of the material from the barrow was derived. This opening revealed a human thighbone and a broken whetstone. Skinner thought the barrow had previously been opened in the 18th.c. and robbed of its contents.
An adjacent barrow also yielded an antler pick, ox bones and two flint scrapers.
from Somerset barrows by L.V.Grinsell.
formicaant Posted by formicaant
6th January 2008ce
Edited 6th January 2008ce