Showing 1-20 of 53 miscellaneous posts. Most recent first | Next 20 
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These barrows and the surrounding sites, of which there are many, used to be conveniently reached by parking in a small layby on the northern side of the road. Sadly this has now been blocked off and the only place to park safely is another layby about 100 - 200 metres west, this is however a very fast and dangerous road with no pavement so be careful.
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Like the nearby long barrow I spotted this bell barrow on MAGIC. It is 28m in diameter and 2.5m in height hopefully some photos will follow soon.
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I spotted this on MAGIC while planning a trip to Clearbury Rings. It is south of the hillfort and is a long barrow about 60m in length, 18m wide and 2.5 m in height at its highest point, it reduces in height on the southern end. It appears to be on private land, but a foot path passes close by so hopefully I will be able to photograph it soon.
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This is a multi ditched plateau hillfort on the Hartland peninsula in north Devon, also known as Ditchen Hills. I don,t really like to post sites I haven't at least been to or have much information about, but will be in the area in a few weeks and will try to visit it soon.
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A single bowl barrow on a small hill 200m north-east of church, photos to follow.
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The Trendle is an iron age enclosure with two sets of banks and ditches. It measures 37m by 30m and is sub rectangular in shape. It is small in size compared to other similar sites, one on Pilsdon Pen is about four times the size of this one. It is similar in form to another one near to Blackdown, just to the south of the long barrow on Sheepdown.
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This was visited in 1827 by one J.F.Pennie who thought this was a small stone circle of druidic origin. He painted a fanciful picture of rituals and solemn ceremonies, involving naked women and sacrifices. Pennie was not unusual in his assumption of a druidic origin to what he erroneously thought a stone circle instead of the remains of a barrow. The original barrow would have pre-dated the druids by about two thousand years.
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Although there are no specific sites on the island it has been shown to have been occupied since 500 bce. It has been excavated several times, Iron Age pottery and metal working waste have been found. Also a wooden boat mentioned in the news section of this Dorset part of TMA was dredged up very close to the island while clearing the channel between it and the mainland.
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This is taken from Dorset Brrows by L.V.Grinsell and describes these long barrows/ bank barrow.
"Width includes probable berm ploughed to edge. Height of mound rises from NW to SE where 5ft. This and the last (II a) may in fact be one long barrow, as probing by R.J.C.Atkinson has shown ditches to be continuous."
Grinsell gives the following dimensions for both barrows : IIa - 300 feet long by 72 feet wide by 4 feet high.
IIb - 175 feet long by 70 feet wide by 5 feet high.
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L.V.Grinsell says this is a very large round barrow, 100 feet in diameter and 7 1/2 feet in height. He also says it has a peristalith in good condition. The Devon / Somerset border appears to pass through it. It appears to be part of large cemetary group. I will be visiting this and other barrows in the area soon, photos and fieldnotes to follow.
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This barrow could possibly be the shortest known bank barrow. In David Field's excellent book Earthen Long Barrows he refers to a Bradford Peverell bank barrow of 64 metres in length. Another candidate could possibly be the long barrow called Red Barn, which is equally close to Bradford Peverell. However he provides no grid reference for it, I will probably have to write him a letter to find out.
Grinsell says this is 150 feet long, 60 - 90 feet wide and 4 feet in height.
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This barrow was opened by the rev J.Skinner in 1815. He employed two colliers from 22nd until 30th September. They tunnelled into the centre but "the interment was gone; there was no cist, only a hole in the soil". There was a burnt layer on the original turf-line which revealed a structure of stones with a revetment wall on the north side, and a quarry on the south side from which some of the material from the barrow was derived. This opening revealed a human thighbone and a broken whetstone. Skinner thought the barrow had previously been opened in the 18th.c. and robbed of its contents.
An adjacent barrow also yielded an antler pick, ox bones and two flint scrapers.
from Somerset barrows by L.V.Grinsell.
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The dyke as it stands in its current form is a Romano-Britsh defensive earthwork. However H.C. Bowen in the excellent book "The Archaeology of Bokerley Dyke" gives a good argument for a much earlier origin. He argues that in the Bronze age the dyke was a cultural boundary which can be shown by the differences between types of round barrow which only occur either side of the ditch.
The bronze age date has also been partially confirmed by excavated finds, the similarity of Neolithic long barrows on both sides of the dyke show no significant difference in typology / culture at that time. There are problems with finds because of the confused stratigraphy caused by the different stages in the developement of the dyke. It was greatly deepened and heightened at a later stage of its history.
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This barrow was opened in the year 1824; and the various Urns which it contained are deposited, some in Whatcombe house, and some in the museum at Bristol. It has been inspected by Sir Richard C Hoare, Bart, F.A.S., who considers it to be more curious than any barrow yet discovered in this island. E.M.P.1827.
From the Salisbury & Winchester Journal, 2 june 1828.
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"These downes looke as if they were sowen with great Stones, very thick, and in a dusky evening they looke like a flock of Sheep: one might fancy it to have been the scene, where the giants fought with huge stones against the Gods. " Twas here that our game began, and the chase led us through the village of Avbury...."
John Aubrey, c.1650.
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This long barrow is now unique in Dorset as being the only long barrow not sited on the chalk downland. Another long barrow, now sadly destroyed, was in existence at Holdenhurst in Bournemouth. The destroyed barrow was excavated by Stuart Piggott in the thirties, this was the first time a mechanical digger is known to have been used in an archaeological dig.
Longbury has been excavated at least three times, in 1802 when skeletons were found, 1855 sherds of a "very rude vessel" and lastly in 1951 - 4 when a secondary burial and a crouched interment were discovered. The finds from this dig are on view in Gillingham museum.
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A settlement of the pre roman era near the tiny village of Turnworth. Although best seen from the air the remaning earthworks of this farmstead and field system can be seen on the ground. Access to the site is very easy as it is under the care of the national trust. Unfotunately my camera batteries died on my last visit, so photos will come when I next visit, which will be no great hardship as this is a quiet and gentle place.
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Celtic field system and at least one long barrow north of Grimstone Down.
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A set of eight round barrows in alignment along the ridge of a hill to the east of Bincombe. These are part of the south Dorset ridgeway group of barrows.
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A group of ten or more assorted round barrows on the south Dorset ridgeway, east of Chalbury hillfort. Almost immediately below them is a chalk cut hillfigure of George the third on horseback from the 18thc. c.e.
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Showing 1-20 of 53 miscellaneous posts. Most recent first | Next 20 |
Always been interested in old stuff and making sure it stays in good nick.
I grew up within a hundred yards or so of Pounbury hillfort and within a mile of Maiden castle and have long wondered about the peoples who built these and the many other sites which proliferate in Dorset. My special interest is in the many barrows of all kinds in the area.
Have recently moved near to Weymouth and am lucky enough to be able to see barrows, a cross ridge dyke and an ancient trackway from my back garden.
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