Duck’s Nest

Long Barrow
SU104203

Also known as:

Duke's Rest, LB No 177 and Monument No. 218031

Nearest town:

Salisbury (10km NNE)

OS reference:

SU104203

OS sheet:

184

Latitude:

50° 58' 53.14 N

Longitude:

1° 51' 6.6 W

Added to TMA by

Rhiannon

Images (3)
Fieldnotes (2)
Miscellaneous (3)

Images

Image of Duck’s Nest (Long Barrow) by GLADMAN

Getting back to my roots... The massive Duck’s Nest long barrow, duly reclaimed by nature........

Image credit: Robert Gladstone

GLADMAN Jul 10, 2010

Image of Duck’s Nest (Long Barrow) by jimit

The barrow only just visible through the scrub. Taken standing in the ditch.

Image credit: Jimit 12.03

jimit Dec 10, 2003

From the West.

Image credit: Jimit 12.03

jimit Dec 10, 2003

Articles

Duck’s Nest

Long Barrow

dickie Nov 14, 2005

Visited this site whilst on a quick tour round the Rockbourne/Martin Long Barrows. Its access hasn’t improved since jimit’s notes. I ended up pushing my way through the brambles/ivy and found the barrow itself very ill defined. There were some very barky dogs on Tenantry Farm but they ran away as we walked passed.

Duck’s Nest

Long Barrow

jimit Dec 8, 2003

When Hampshire Treasures describe this as “overgrown” they’re not joking! The site of the barrow is easily seen from the road as it is crowned by Yew trees.Closer to, it seems to be surrounded by a very overgrown hedge but after struggling through this it becomes apparent that it is Ivy clad scrub growing on the outside and partly down the very well defined ditches. The barrow itself is the shortest “Long” barrow I’ve seen and has a very dumpy appearance, however its actual outline is difficult to determine as the Yews are falling over, re-layering and/or rotting and there are huge mounds of fresh chalk everywhere caused by active badger setts. The ditches are heavily weed infested and a winter visit left me picking burrs out of my clothes for some time.
What does one do about a site like this? Clear it of the untidy scrub and dead trees and restore it to some of the majesty it had when first constructed or leave it to gently decay and remain the undoubted wild-life sanctuary it surely has become?

Disabled: Parking on small verge just off the road. Walk up-hill on very deeply rutted track (Much used by off-roaders while I was there), locked farm gate, ploughed field, many brambles and much scrub and uneven ground.

Duck’s Nest

Long Barrow

Chance Jun 5, 2014

Details of long barrow on Pastscape

(SU10452039) Duck’s Nest [NAT] Long Barrow [NR] LB No 177 (1) Long barrow 50 paces long, 30 paces wide 12-15 feet high, flank ditches 7 paces wide 1 ft deep thickly covered in vegetation (2) Add Ref(3) Schedule Anc. Mon.
This long barrow is thickly overgrown and accurate measurement of its dimensions is difficult. It is between 46 and 48 metres in length and about 29 m wide. It is 3.5m high at its south end and 3.0 m high at its north end. There is a well-preserved ditch flanking its W side, 0.6 m below the ground level; the ditch on the E side is more shallow.
As described by R Work in 1954 the long barrow is preserved in a small wood.
The lack of any round barrows associated with this barrow is characteristic of long barrows on the Hants side of Bokerley Dyke.

Duck’s Nest

Long Barrow

pure joy Jul 8, 2003

The fantastic ‘Hampshire Treasures’ resource gives the following info – “Duck’s Nest Long barrow – SU 105 204 – north east of Down Farm. Thickly overgrown, therefore accurate measurements difficult; about 47 m long and 29 m wide. Deep ditch on west side and a shallower one on the east. Scheduled Ancient Monument no.27”

Duck’s Nest

Long Barrow

Rhiannon Apr 29, 2002

A fantastic name for an overgrown long barrow – it’s also known as ‘Duke’s Rest’ locally. Sited conspicuously on an eminence of Rockbourne Down, it’s intervisible with Grans Barrow, Knap Barrow, and a longbarrow on Little Toyd Down. There is also a group of round barrows half a mile to the north. To the northwest there are traces of an Iron Age settlement and ‘Celtic’ fields – an area full of interest!