'Visited' 29.5.11
Well, when I say visited more like looking at the Barrows through the window of a speeding car!
Heading north, four Barrows are clearly visible on the left hand side of the road and a bit further north, another single Barrow is visible on the right - this Barrow looks to have been cut in half by a field hedge.
The Barrows looked to be in good nick (except the one cut in half!) although it was difficult to judge their size due to Karens reluctance to go a bit slower (we were running late). All the Barrows appeared to be running in a line along the valley floor?
Well worth a peak when driving past. It would obviously help if someone else was driving at the time!!
Four barrows are visible to the west of the A34, and two more are visible to the east, the barrows lay in a rough n/s alignment.
There's a layby right by the barrows on the northbound carriageway, for the use of visitors to the De Haviland Memorial, which is nearby.
Approaching from the north, we spotted the barrows and were looking for a suitable parking place when we spotted it. A huge crop circle on the hill in the adjoining field (see photo). So the stories are true. It is a centre for this kind of activity.
Once parked in the layby, I spent a bit of time looking at the barrows, which seem to leap from the surrounding fields, before moving down to look at the circle. In the hedge at the edge of the field was a fallen treetrunk, hosting an enormous fungus growth, looking for all the world like an alien spaceship.
I thought I’d dig out what information the excellent ‘Hampshire Treasures’ resource gives on this site – “Thorn Down. Tumulus group consisting of [7] bowl and disc barrows, three of which contained evidence of cremations. Centred on grid reference. O.S.A. No. SU45 NE31. Ref: 1. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, Vol. 1, 1870, p.197. Ref: 2. P.H.F.C., Vol. 14, 1938-40, pp.206-7.” This is a scheduled ancient monument, no.71.
A Stone Age implement was found at SU463555 – “Litchfield Down. Palaeolithic flint axe found at foot of escarpment. Present whereabouts not known”
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