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‘Drive By’ 4.4.16

Easily seen as a grass covered mound on the northern side of the B4355. Looked larger than the nearby Pennant barrow.

Details of earthwork on Pastscape

(SX 25229969) Hilton Wood Castle (NR). (1) “Hilton Wood Castle is an ancient earthwork, the area of which is oval, and measures 215 feet by 170 feet. The height of the bank is 14 feet, and the breadth of the ditch is 12 feet; the circumscribing vallum is in good preservation.” (2)
SX 25229969. An oval, univallate, defended settlement some 95.0m NNW-SSE by 80.0m overall, situated on a ridge. The well preserved rampart comprises a bank which rises up to 2.8m above an outer ditch 0.8m deep. In the N and E is a counterscarp bank up to 1.0m high. The entrance is a simple gap in the E side, a break in the rampart in the NE being modern. Resurveyed a t 1:2500; it is still known as Hilton Wood Castle. (3)
A very fine monument indeed. A ditched camp with the bank rising 4-5m over the base of the ditch. An entrance seems to exist on the west side. (4)

Details of hillfort on Pastscape

[ST 483164] Hillfort [GT] (1)
A multivallate Iron Age hillfort on Hamdon Hill more generally known as Ham Hill, encloses an area of 210 acres and has a 3 mile perimeter. Due to extensive quarrying of the Ham stone since Roman times the entrances are difficult to determine, but a turning in of the banks at the north-west and south-east of the fort, probably indicate them. Numerous finds, most of which have come from the over-burden during quarrying operations, and also from excavations in the north-western sector by H. St. George Gray in 1923-5 and 1929 testify to occupation of the area at least from Neolithic times. The most intensive occupation of the hill-fort appears to have been in the 1st cent. B.C. and during the first 60-70 years A.D. This is attested by numerous finds including a late – probably Belgic – pit burial; pottery sherds of Halstatt form (IA ‘A’); bowls of Glastonbury type (IA, ‘B’ or ‘AB’); bead-rim vessels and other forms of south-western type dating towards the time of the Claudian conquest; a bronze bulls-head of Celtic type (possibly an ornamental chariot fitting); chariot horn caps; iron tyres of wheels; bridle-bits and nosebands. Iron currency bars have been found, also silvered bronze coins of the Durotriges. In 1930 excavations revealed a closely grouped area of dwelling and storage pits of pre-Roman date. There is also considerable evidence of further occupation of Hamdon Hill during the Roman period, including a villa situated in the east part of the fort (ST 41 NE 8). Miscellaneous finds include a Saxon shield boss of iron, and a 14th cent. jug spout and bronze spur. The majority of the finds are in Taunton Museum, primarily in the Walter and Norris collections. (2-4)
Ham Hill is a bivallate contour following hillfort but in the S.W. corner it becomes trivallate. It is well preserved on all but the W. side where random quarrying makes it difficult to identify the ramparts. Two entrances can be positively identified; in the S.E. corner and on the E. side of the northern spur. Published survey (1/2500) revised. (5)
No change; survey of 10.1.67 correct. (6) Traces of an Iron Age settlement have been identified within the northern spur of the hillfort by Gray’s excavations during the 1920s (7-9) and from artefacts recovered over a period of time during quarrying and a watching brief (10). It was originally thought that only the northern spur was occupied, and was separately fortified from the rest of the hillfort which was used as a cattle pound. Excavations carried out in 1983, identified pits containing daub, grain and probable second century BC pottery within the southwestern area of the hillfort. These excavations have shown that parts of the interior were devoid of structures, and that there was settlement beyond the area of the northern spur. (10-13) Burials have been identified on Ham Hill (ST 41 NE 70) including one with weapons and chariot fittings (ST 41 NE 71). Iron currency bars have also been recovered (ST 41 NE 72). For details of Neolithic, Bronze Age and Roman occupation see child records. (compiler – J Lancley) ST483164. Ham Hill consists of a plateau of shelly limestone with a spur projecting from its north-western corner. The sides of the plateau and spur are steep and their upper edges are followed closely by the hillfort defences. The defences at the northern and southern edges of the plateau have marked angles in their courses where major geological faults are encountered and negotiated. The total length of the inner circuit of the defences is 4.9km.
The form and number of defensive elements is fairly uniform throughout. The upper part of the hillside has been scarped to produce a steep inner rampart face. Generally the top of the inner rampart lacks a bank, or at least one of any significance, the major exception being the north-western spur where a prominent bank is present on the northern and eastern sides. The foot of the inner rampart is followed by a ditch which in places, especially where the natural slope is very steep, becomes a ledge or terrace. Beyond the ditch there is a second rampart represented by a bank. Where there is a terrace instead of a ditch the outer bank is replaced by a steep, outward facing scarp. Exceptions to this general pattern occur on the western side of the plateau and near the north-eastern corner of the spur. In these areas the defences are strengthened by an additional line of earthworks which comprise a ditch or ledge at the base of the second rampart beyond which is a third rampart consisting of either a bank or a steep, outward facing scarp.
The defences are broken by a number of entrances most of which are not original features; it is possible that the gap through the eastern defences on the north-western spur was created by the Roman army. There appear to have been two early entrances, one on the south-east near Batemoor Barn and the other at the head of the combe separating the spur from the plateau on the north-west – this last probable entrance has been totally destroyed by quarrying.
Geophysical survey of the interior has shown that the plateau area was extensively used in the past. Evidence for trackways, enclosures, fields, ring ditches, pits and areas of intensive occupation and industrial activity has been found (for reports see General Archive Materials below – UID/s 1005361, 1005362 and 1058425). Some of the fields are also visible as cropmarks on air photographs. A number of these sites appear to be related to the Roman villa whose principal range of buildings has also been revealed by geophysical survey in the eastern part of the hillfort. On the north-western spur a circlar depression and rectangular enclosure may relate to the use of this part of the hill for a fair during the medieval and post medieval period. South of these sites are the remains of four possible prehistoric round houses. The principal sites within the interior have been given individual NMR numbers and separately described (14). (15)

Details of earthwork on Pastscape

[ST 53013730 – ST 53463822] Ponter’s Ball [G.T.] (1) This is a linear earthwork about 15ft. high and ditched on the east. It is a five-eights mile long, and runs NNE-SSW across the high ground between Hearty Moor (ST 5339) and Kennard Moor (ST 5236), both formerly swamps. It probably formed a continuous defensive barrier with the earthwork ‘New Ditch, (of similar construction and orientation), some three miles to the SW [ST 53 SW 20.] Bulleid put a section across Ponter’s Ball in 1909, but found very little except a few potsherds; some fragments, from the old turf line under the bank, were regarded by Sir Hercules Read as Bronze Age: others, deep in the ditch, were thought to be Glastonbury Lake Village type, but as no sherd was decorated this classification is tentative. Pottery in Taunton Museum. (2-4)
This earthwork is similar to New Ditch but of more formidable construction. The gap through which the modern road passes is staggered and appears to be original; to the north of it the ditch is well defined, but to the south has been obscured by a modern hedge and drainage ditch. Radford suggests Ponter’s Ball as part of a great Celtic sanctuary: probably 3rd.c. B.C.
The pottery from here is still in Taunton Museum (ACC.3434). surveyed at 1:2500. (5)
Ponter’s Ball is possibly sub-Roman and connected with the DA occupation on Glastonbury Tor (ST 53 NW 4).
Excavation in 1970 appears to date Ponters Ball, at least at the point examined, to the 12th century or later. (6-7)

Details of enclosure on Pastscape

Possible Iron Age enclosure situated on a steep west facing slope of Bicknoller Hill. It is defined by a bank which encloses a sub-circular area measuring 97m by 87m. The enclosure is morphologically similar to the so called “hill-slope” enclosures common on Exmoor. The function of the enclosure is unclear as the steepness of the slope suggests it would be impractical as a settlement or even as a stock enclosure. Although it has a substantial rampart it is not in a particularly defendable topographical situation but it is highly visible and impressive when viewed from the valley below. A possible cross-ridge a dyke situated to the north east of the enclosure may be an associated feature although there is no actual evidence for this.

Details of trackways on Pastscape

(ST 42184020 – 42904178). The ‘Sweet Track’, between the Shapwick Burtle and Westhay ‘island’, was discovered in 1970 by Mr Ray Sweet, and was excavated in three stretches, ‘B’ (Burtle), ‘F’ (Factory), and ‘R’ (Railway), between 1970 and 1977 (see Plan). Closely associated with it was a slightly earlier track, the ‘Post Track’, which was roughly on the same line and was probably largely dismantled when the Sweet Track was built. The construction of the Sweet Track was relatively refined and
consisted in stretches F and R of a pegged plank catwalk laid over peat packing round a continuous rail of cross-pegged tree stems (see Diagram). In stretch B however, as drier land was approached, the track was cruder, with various improvisations – timber matting, clay surfacing etc. (1) A number of radiocarbon and pollen analysis tests give a consistent dating to the track of about 3200 bc, making it the earliest known timber track in Britain. (2) In the F and R stretches a great quantity of well-preserved rough wooden artifacts was found – paddles, a dish, arrow-shafts, parts of bows, yew-pins, etc. There were also flint-flakes, leaf-arrowheads (one shafted), a chipped flint axe in mint condition (typologically late 4th millennium), a jadeite axe (also late 4th millennium, cf 2a), and pieces of at least 9 Neolithic pots. (3) The Sweet Track has now been investigated at four major sites along its route – The factory site, F, and the southern terminal, B (see reference 1 above) the Railway site, R (see reference 2 above) and the Drove Site, D. This report concerns excavations in 1977 at the Drove site, situated between the factory and burtle sites at the S. end of the route. (See Illustration Card for location plan). (4) In 1980 the full length of the Sweet Track was established and information obtained on its state of preservation. (5) Timber trackway scheduled at ST 423403, ST 422404-425409 and ST 426411. (7)

Details of hillfort on Pastscape

[ST 485322] Dundon Hill CAMP [GT]. (1)
This consists of a bank of stones along the edge of the hill, the outer face of the hill top being steeply scarped. On the NW the bank has disappeared and there is only the scarp. Along the E side, about 16 ft. below the top of the bank, is a ledge below which the ground falls away steeply. The entrance was about the middle of this side, but has been much altered.(2) [Plan,see photo AO/64/107/4] Several flint flakes, a core and scrapers, also a few pieces of pottery of B.A. type were found by Bulleid on the surface within the camp in 1916. They are now in Taunton Museum (3). (2-3)
This is a univallate Iron Age hill fort. An entrance may have existed on the east side but quarrying has destroyed all traces of it. Published survey 1/2500, revised. Flints found by Bulleid still in Taunton Museum. (4)
ST 485 321. Dundon Hill. Listed in gazetteer as a univallate hillfort covering 5.5ha. (5)
The NMR holds detailed survey drawings and interpretational information on the site (6-11).
A spring issuing from the east side of the hill may have been a “Holy Well”. early documents for the surrounding woodland known today as Hillwall Wood fefer to “Halgwyl”, suggesting the spring to be that to which the name owes its origin. (12)
ST 48503220. Dundon Hill Camp is a defended hilltop settlement of c.5ha internal area. The site comprises a single earthwork rampart enclosing the upper surface of the hill, following the irregular form of the hilltop topography. An earthen mound, known as Dundon Beacon (ST 43 SE 9) intrudes into the south-east corner of the rampart circuit. The rampart varies in height between 0.5m and 2.5m and the defensive circuit is incomplete in several places, having been destroyed by later quarrying, including a 150m stretch along the eastern side. It is likely that the original entrance was positioned within this now destroyed section. Two openings in the defences which do survive, on the west side and on the south-east corner, which are used as access to the interior today, are likely to be later intrusions and not authentic entrances. Evidence for later use of the hill includes Limestone quarrying, consisting of a large, linear open trench of up to 17m wide and 5m deep, running diagonally across the interior. Cultivation of probable Medieval date is also evident with several lynchets extending around the surrounding hillslope. Some sections of the rampart have been re-used as field boundaries, which survive as decayed hedges. (13) The Hillfort was scheduled in 1996. (14)

Details of barrow on Pastscape

[ST 48543199] Dundon Beacon Tumulus [GT]. (1)
Dundon Beacon was excavated by Hasell [c.1831] who found beneath its base a rude cist enclosing an inhumation in kneeling posture, together with an urn containing a number of penannular rings, thought to be of tin, much oxidised, rather more than 3/4” in diameter. A letter from Hasell to Colt Hoare referring to this barrow is in Taunton Museum. (2)
A large ditchless bowl barrow, 3.7 m. high. Published survey, 1/2500 revised. (3)
ST 48543199. An earthen mound sited on the south-east corner of the ramparts at Dundon Hill (ST 43 SE 15). It takes the form of a truncated cone of 35m diameter at base by approximately 5m high, with flattish top and evenly sloping sides. It is clearly later than the rampart into which it is built as the north-western sides of the mound, facing the interior, have visibly cut through the earlier earthworks and a hollow to the west of the mound, which has also destroyed parts of the rampart, was probably a source of material for its construction. A sloping earthen causeway appears to have given access to the mound from the north-west. The site was excavated in the 1850’s when a burial was discovered leading to its current classification as a `Tumulus’ on OS maps. Other interpretations include a motte and a firebeacon, all of which are plausible, though unproven. (4) The original account of the 1851 is contained in the volume of the Archaeological Journal for that year. (5) The feature is marked on the Ordnance Survey first edition map of the area. (6) The feature is noted in EJ Burrow’s 1927 work on earthworks in Somerset. (7) First thought to be simply a bowl barrow, it may also have been a motte or beacon. (8) Recent investigation sugests that the original barrow was added to and modified as a Norman motte. (9)

The summit of Beacon Batch is crowned with a superb round barrow cemetery, one of which has been rebuilt and topped with an Ordnance Survey trig pillar. A further two barrows lie to the east on the edge of the open access land.

Details of the prominent barrows from Somerset HER:

Burrington 11/T170 (ST 48375725)

A low mound with a cover of heather except at the S where the path has removed a broad swathe of vegetation. The stone of the mound is exposed and being loosened.

This barrow is the most westerly in a group of six (PRNs 24104, 24105, 24106, 24107 and 24108). The barrow is defined by a sub-circular mound which measures 10m in diameter. The barrow appears to have been incorporated into the Black Down bombing decoy (PRN 24114).

Burrington 13/T172 (ST 48455726)

2m high and 15m diameter with triangulation point on top Good turf cover apart from the top where everyone stands. Here stones are exposed but stable.

Burrington 14/T173 (ST 48485726)

1.75m high and 13m diameter. Whole of the top area dug into and stones exposed. There is active erosion down into the central hole which is 4m diameter and up to 1m deep. Grass covered with little heather.

This barrow is the third most easterly in a group of six (PRNs 24103, 24104, 24105, 24107 and 24108).

Burrington 15/T174 (ST 48525725)

2m high and 15m diameter. The maximum height is at the rim due to upcast from the centre hole which is 4m diameter and up to 1.75 deep. Loose stones lying in the bottom. Good turf cover.

This barrow is the second most easterly in a group of six (PRNs 24103, 24104, 24105, 24106 and 24108). An external ditch is situated adjacent to the eastern side of the mound measuring up to 2m in width.

Burrington 16/T175 (ST 48545725)

1.75m high and 15m diameter Marked central depression but no stone exposed. Good turf cover, some heather.This barrow is the most easterly in a group of six (PRNs 24103, 24104, 24105, 24106 and 24107). The mound has an external ditch measuring up to 3m in width. A sub-oval depression is visible in the top of the mound, probably the result of an excavation in the past, measuring up to 6m in length by up to 3m in width.

This next is to the SE of the trig point and the linear group, on the south side of the path:

Burrington 20/T126 (ST 4861057150)

Mound 2m high and 15m diameter. Flat topped with a central animal hole Slight berm to the S. Heather covered. Major trackway passes by on the N side.

The next two lie to the south of the trig point:

Burrington 18/T168 (ST 48455711)

0.25m high and 11m diameter. Not as obvious as some of the others in the group. Cut into on the SE side by a trackway running S from the trig point. Here cairn material is spilling out and being spread along the track. Central depression with a few stones exposed. Heather covered.

This barrow is the most westerly in a group of four (PRNs 24109, 24111 and 24112).

Burrington 19/T167 (ST 4848057080)

2m high and 15m diameter crossed by a trackway running c.SE from the trig point. Marked central depression where cairn stones are exposed. Covered with turf, heather and gorse on the SE side.

Appears stable under a cover of dense heather and low gorse. There is a narrow path across from N-S which is causing some erosion of the N crest of the mound. This barrow is the second most westerly in a group of four (PRNs 24109, 24110 and 24112).

The final two barrows marked on the OS 1/25000 are to the east of the summit, on the edge of the access land:

Burrington 22/T166 (ST 4899056930)

Round barrow, isolated under heather and moorland 0.9m high and 18m diameter.

Possibly mentioned as “the broken barrow” in the Anglo Saxon charter of AD904 for Wrington. Path to west eroded by bikes and horses – path to east not as bad.

Blagdon 1/T165 (ST 4908057030)

Mound crossed by stone wall running c.N-S which is the old Burrington-Blagdon parish boundary. 1m high and 11m diameter, the W very small part lies in undisturbed heathland. The E part is very stony, part of very rough grazing. Stones cleared from the field at some time lie along the wall and on the barrow. There is also a certain amount of brick and mortar, possibly from a small building at one time, on the mound. Could have been recently dumped. A drainage ditch to the E of the stone wall approaches the barrow but stops short of it. The mound is very spread and almost devoid of vegetation.

Possibly the “broken barrow’ referred to in the Anglo Saxon charter of Wrington (AD904).

Circular ditch identified indicates that centre of barrow is mostly destroyed by a path which is now avoided as muddy – path now diverts over ditch causing further erosion.

Two substantial if eroded Bronze Age round barrows and a possible third, at the western end of the summit ridge of Black Down. Details from Somerset HER:

Burrington 8/T177 (ST 47325710)

13m diameter and 1m high under heather. Whole area rather disturbed. There are several small deep holes on the mound where soil has been leeched from between the stones of the cairn. Lies on the N side of a well used ridge path.

A fairly prominent mound with a generally dense cover of heather. The southern edge is crossed by the path and is denuded of vegetation and suffering damage. Very muddy areas may mark the position of the barrow ditch.

Burrington 9/T178 (ST 47355710)

15m diameter and 1.75m high on N side of ridge path. The S edge of the mound is crossed by the path where some stone is exposed. Mound rather uneven with stones protruding, otherwise grass covered with a few heather plants.

A fairly prominent mound with a dense cover of heather except where crossed by the path. This has removed all vegetation and topsoil exposing the stone make-up of the mound. The path has made a significant depression in the top of the mound.

Burrington 9a/T179 (ST 47335707)

The southern mound is not very distinct but is probably a low, heather and gorse covered mound some way S of the path. Stable and undisturbed beneath dense ground cover.

This area of common north of Black Down is the site of an extensive Bronze Age cemetery of cairns and cremations. Beaker sherds were also found in Bos Swallet, a large sinkhole to the west of the cemetery. Details of the cairns that appear on the OS 1/25000, from the Somerset HER:

Burrington 1/T5 (ST4743058460)

Possible saucer barrow. Consists of a ring mound and an inner mound. Total diameter c41ft with mound 25ft diameter and 2.5ft high. Built of stones.

Excavated by H Taylor following R.F Read c1925 and 1950-6. Primary inhumation (inferred) with barbed wire type beaker (Clarke’s Barbed-wire type no 784) in a grave 2ft 3ins by 3ft 7ins which also contained fragments of burnt bone. There were inner and outer ring-cairns or retaining circles. Secondary fragments included one accompanied by a food vessel, and a cremation with a primary series collared urn. On the W and SW margin of the barrow was a cremation cemetery.

Burrington 3/T6 (ST 47465836)

Possible saucer barrow total diameter 35ft and central mound about 1ft high.

Excavated by R.F Read in 1923 – primary cremation in stone cist 2ft by 1ft 8ins with fragment of polished flint implement. Mound truncated.

Section prior to excavation suggests a disc barrow. Cist was previously robbed.

Burrington 6c/T6c (ST 47435820)

Barrow 21ft diameter and 1.5ft high. One of several that occur locally but do not really fit into any category. Consists of a low mound roughly ring shaped with a gap in it communicating with the central depressed area. This area does not seem to be due to disturbance. The gap is to the S.

Information from Pastscape:

A cave near Burrington Combe, discovered by RF Read in 1919 and excavated by Professors Tratman and Palmer for the University of Bristol Speleological Society from 1919 to 1925 and again in 1929. The bulk of the material discovered relates to use of the cave in the Iron Age, with finds including pottery, antler cheek-pieces, bronze fittings for chariot wheels, part of a bronze bracelet, stone spindle whorls and some iron shackles. Some human remains and a quantity of animal bones were also discovered. The sole find of definite Roman date, a coin of Magnentius, is regarded by Branigan and Dearne as “an accidental contamination of the site”.

It was originally called Keltic Cavern.

Two cairns, now in (felled) forestry. Info from Pastscape:

Shipham 3/T8 (ST 46125844)
A round cairn excavated circa 1924. 37 feet in diameter and on average 2 feet high, a very small quantity of calcined human bone was found on the original ground surface beneath the mound,which was restored after excavation. The cairn is listed by Grinsell as Shipham 3, and by the UBSS as cairn T8. Circa 1960, a leaf-shaped flint arrowhead was found amongst road-spoil adjacent to the cairn. It seems unlikely to be associated.

Shipham 4/T7 (ST 46655843)

T.7: Tumulus 35’ dia. x 1’ high. Excavated 1923. Cremation found in inverted enlarged food vessel, Abercromby type 7, with pygmy cup nearby: the whole encircled by vertical slabs and covered by an internal cairn.

There is a local tradition that this stone once occupied a site other than that on which it now stands. It was said that up to about eighty years ago it stood at a rath near by known as the rath Feerwore. Some years ago Patrick Lyons who had been employed by the late Mr Dolphin of Turoe for 40 years a herd pointed out the exact spot was about 10 yards to the west of the rath called Feerwore where the stone once stood. Excavations were made there and some animal remains together with a cist were found. The contents of the cist are supposed to have been human remains indicating cremation and the animal remains a funeral feast.

This is from the Schools Collection of the 1930s. The excavations are reported in the The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, v 14 (1944).

Does anyone know what’s happened with the stone? Did it go to the museum? Did it come back again? Is it still in that bizarre shed? The poor thing deserves a bit of respect.

Details of Oakley Down Group on Pastscape

A group of over 30 barrows on the eastern side of Oakley Down. Most are located within the angle created by the Ackling Dyke Roman road and the modern road (A354). Most of the barrows are bowl barrows, although some disc barrows are also present, as are some mounds which are probably not barrows at all. The barrows occupy two spurs which slope gently towards a dry valley to the east, though their location may be in part due to the presence of the Neolithic long barrow Wor Barrow (SU 01 NW 14), visible on higher ground to the west. Many of the barrows were dug into early in the 19th century by Colt Hoare and Cunnington, and it is possible to identify most of the mounds excavated by them. Some of the finds from their investigations are in Devizes Museum, Wiltshire. All of the barrows in the group were previously described at length as part of this record. In order to simplify matters, each has now been recorded separately (see child monuments and associated monuments), while this record refers to the barrow cemetery as a whole and contains some additional sources and information relevant to the group as a whole.

Details of Hillfort on Pastscape

A small univallate enclosure on Penbury Knoll. Circa 3.75 acres in area, it has been heavily damaged by quarrying, and parts of the interior are also obscured by trees and undergrowth. The enclosing earthworks appear incomplete, prompting suggestions that the enclosure is unfinished. On the west and north the enclosure is defined by a bank up to 25 feet wide and 2 feet high. In front of the bank on the west is a ditch up to 3 feet deep and 25 feet wide. Much of the remainder of the enclosure circuit is defined by a scarp up to 25 feet wide and up to 5 feet high. Behind the bank on the north side are some quarry pits which appear to be related to the construction of the bank. However, other depressions, some of which cut across the earthworks, clearly represent more recent quarrying. There is a gap on the eastern side of circa 100 feet which appears to be occupied by neither earthwork nor quarrying evidence. No certain entrance feature is evident, nor are there any traces of occupation in the interior. The field system to the northwest (SU 01 NW 52) appears to be related to the enclosure, but the precise relationship is unclear.

Details of Badbury Barrow and stone on Pastscape

(ST 9602) The ‘Badbury Barrow’, which yielded remarkable finds when destroyed in 1845, was situated near Badbury Rings (ST 90 SE 45). Under the barrow mound, which was some 60 feet in diameter and 9 feet high, a central cairn of sandstone blocks was enclosed in a ring of flints bordered by a circular sandstone wall 30 feet in diameter, Within the cairn were at least three inhumations, apparently primary, two of them with food-vessels and one with an ornamental handled pot. Also probably in the cairn were at least fifteen cremations, a few perhaps primary, but most of them secondary, some with collared urns. At the centre, a huge slab of sandstone weighing half a ton was decorated with cup marks and carvings of daggers and axes similar to those at Stonehenge.
Opening another barrow in the same field, J.H. Austen found a primary cremation in a bucket urn with four lugs, in a charcoal
filled cist. (For possible sitings of these barrows see ST 90 SW 14 and ST 90 SE 52). (1-4)
A report on an opened tumulus one mile south of Badbury Rings bears many similarities with the feature recorded by authorities 1-4, and is probably the same barrow but seen by authority 5 at an earlier stage of its destruction. The barrow was 8 feet high, 225 feet in circumference and was opened for the purpose of obtaining flints. At 12 feet in from the outer edge, a circular wall of sandstone blocks, 3 feet high, was encountered, ‘laid in a rude manner’. Within this was a fill of flints (of which 120 cartloads were wheeled away) shelving down towards the centre of the barrow. The nucleus consisted of chalk and ‘mould’, below which were 5 cists. Two secondary internments were noted. (The account of the barrow was communicated to the author by Dr Wake-Smart who compares the barrow to the tomb of Aepytus observed by Homer in Arcadia. Warne (auth 3) in his account of the Badbury barrow notes that Wake-Smart makes exactly the same comment concerning the Badbury barrow. There can be little doubt that authorities 3 and 5 are therefore refering to the same barrow).
Only 3 of the 10 or 11 urns discovered in 1845 have survived, but these indicate a Middle Bronze Age date. The carvings on a kerb-stone represent bronze weapons and cup-marks.

The decorated surface of this stone was detached from its block and is now in the British Museum. (7)
Full description of the pottery and carved kerb-stone. (8)