Kington Down Farm

Between West Kington village and Tormarton the county and parish boundaries run parallel and south of the Burton—Bristol Road ; on this is milestone 12 from Christian Malford ; 475 yards S.W. of this and just south of the road is an unrecorded long barrow discovered by the writer in February, 1939. It is a green mound, noticeably rectangular with square but slightly rounded ends, still standing seven feet high at a point east of the centre. It is 150 feet long by 57 at the S.W. end and just over 60 at the N.E.; its direction is 40 degrees magnetic. Three parts of the barrow are in fine preservation but the N.E. end being in another field has been somewhat ploughed down but is still some feet high and well defined. A hedge passes over it at 45 feet from its termination in that direction. There are no signs of side trenches.
To the north there is a field wall by the road side and a small excavation has been made in the N.W. flank of the barrow for wall stone but it is merely a shallow hollow which has caused very little damage. At the S.W. corner there is a very curious small outwork not connected with the barrow but almost touching it, which is hard to explain.
Close to this spot the six inch O.M. Wilts Sheet XVIII, N.E., marks two small round barrows, Goddard's No. 1 and 2, West Kington. There is however no trace of these mounds now and it is doubtful if they ever existed. But in tlie next field in its W. corner and close to the head of the long barrow is a small barrow ploughed very low hitherto unrecorded. Over the road to the N. are two round barrows now ploughed very flat. To the E. is a round barrow, Goddard No.3 West Kington. This is a low bowl-shaped mound opened at top, about 50 feet in diameter and three and a half high. It differs from any barrow I have ever seen by having a platform on its S. side, apparently part of the barrow.