Images

Image of Stone Hill Down (Long Barrow) by formicaant

The long / oval barrow, end on view, from the east.

Image credit: Mike Rowland 16/11/07
Image of Stone Hill Down (Long Barrow) by formicaant

A side view of the long / oval barrow looking north.

Image credit: Mike Rowland 16/11/07

Articles

Stone Hill Down

Although listed as a long barrow this is actually one of fewer than 50 oval barrows known to exist and is therefore much more of a rarity. It is sited on the Purbeck hills north of the village of Church Knowle. Its in good condition and is about 30 metres long by 20 wide and nearly 3 metres in height. It has ditches on either side which I would have liked to have seen, unfortunately the field had about 30 bullocks in it and I wimped out, having been chased by them in the past. I will definitely be visiting this site again hopefully minus the cattle.

Miscellaneous

Stone Hill Down
Long Barrow

Details of site on Pastscape

An oval-shaped mound on Stonehill Down, extant as an earthwork, has been variously described as an oval barrow, a long barrow and a bell barrow. RCHME field investigation for the Dorset Inventory described it as being 96 feet long, 64 feet wide and up to 9 feet high, surrounded by a sloping berm and then a ditch, the latter 1 foot deep and up to 20 feet wide. The ditch is interrupted by a causeway at each end. Since then it has suffered some plough damage but is still substantially extant. Classification remains a problem. Scheduled.

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