Scheduled Monument: Stable Barrow 230m NNE of Frogmore Farm (SM27384)

EXTRACT FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE'S RECORD OF SCHEDULED MONUMENTS MONUMENT: Stable Barrow 230m NNE of Frogmore Farm PARISH: MILBORNE ST ANDREW MILTON ABBAS DISTRICT: NORTH DORSET COUNTY: DORSET NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 27384 NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE(S): SY79469933 DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT The monument includes a bowl barrow known as Stable Barrow 230m NNE of Frogmore Farm, which lies on a south slope just below the summit of a hill on the parish boundary between Milborne St Andrew and Milton Abbas. The barrow has a mound which has been ploughed away on its northern and southern sides resulting in an elongated shape, c.18m by c.9m. The full extent of the original mound is visible on the southern side as a paler coloured stony patch on the ploughed surface. There are some large flint nodules visible in the top of the mound. The ditch surrounding the mound is visible as an intermittent slight depression in the field particularly on the northern side of the parish boundary and it will survive as a buried feature c.3m wide. This may be Bagber Barrow excavated by J C Mansell-Pleydell in the 19th century when it was found to contain 23 cremation urns, two inverted and the remainder upright and covered with slabs of sarsen or flint. All fence posts are excluded from the scheduling although the ground beneath these features is included. ASSESSMENT OF IMPORTANCE Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most examples belonging to the period 2400-1500 BC. They were constructed as earthen or rubble mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered single or multiple burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as cemeteries and often acted as a focus for burials in later periods. Often superficially similar, although differing widely in size, they exhibit regional variations in form and a diversity of burial practices. There are over 10,000 surviving bowl barrows recorded nationally (many more have already been destroyed), occurring across most of lowland Britain. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable variation of form and longevity as a monument type provide important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisations amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection. The bowl barrow 230m NNE of Frogmore Farm, although possibly partly excavated in the 19th century, will contain archaeological remains, providing information about Bronze Age burial practices, economy and environment. SCHEDULING HISTORY Monument included in the Schedule on 7th November 1961 as: COUNTY/NUMBER: Dorset 622 NAME: Stable Barrow, round barrow The reference of this monument is now: NATIONAL MONUMENT NUMBER: 27384 NAME: Stable Barrow 230m NNE of Frogmore Farm SCHEDULING AFFIRMED ON 01st August 1996

Record last edited

Apr 21 2011 1:23AM