These three barrows are in the middle of Knowle hill, there is a fourth further east which I didn't get to as the weather closed in. The biggest and most southerly is covered in gorse and has traces of a ditch around most of its circumference, the footpath is where it fades out. To the north west of it is a low bowl type also with a ditch and traces of an excavation on its crown.
The western barrow is also a low bowl shape on the ridge of the hill and has a cross dyke running next to it. The cross dyke cuts through the ditch of the barrow so must be later. These boundary ditches cross many hills like this locally, indeed the same hill has another set to the west, dating these ditches is difficult as not many have been properly investigated.
There are two bowl barrows at the eastern end of Knowle Hill, at least one of which is prominent. Both barrows were excavated by J H Austen in 1861.
In the eastern barrow (SY94568232) Austen found, a "cremation burial within a cist in association with burnt material and a perforated whetstone" in the barrow. The finds from this excavation are stored at the Dorset County Museum, but I'm guessing not necessarily on display.
The barrow to the west (SY94578236) has a causeway breaking the outer ditch in the north eastern section. As well as Austen's excavation, this barrow was also excavated by W H Frend (1934-5), and a two phase construction was revealed. A cremation burial was discovered and a "small two-riveted bronze dagger". In the ditch, two inhumation burials of a later date were found as well as some Romano-British
pottery shards and a fragment of a shale armlet.
Log in |
Register
0 discussions
Show map (inline Google Map)
Add an image 
Posted by formicaant
Posted by Kammer
Top of page