Scheduled Monument: Bowl barrow 770m north of Whatcombe House, forming part of the round barrow cemetery on the south western part of Black Down (SM22977)

EXTRACT FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE'S RECORD OF SCHEDULED MONUMENTS MONUMENT: Bowl barrow 770m north of Whatcombe House, forming part of the round barrow cemetery on the south western part of Black Down PARISH: KINGSTON RUSSELL DISTRICT: WEST DORSET COUNTY: DORSET NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 22977 NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE(S): SY57789046 DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT The monument includes the levelled remains of a bowl barrow situated on a chalk ridge of the South Dorset Downs, overlooking the Bride valley to the south. The barrow forms part of a cemetery of twelve round barrows, of which ten survive; the cemetery appears to have developed around a pair of earlier long mounds situated on the south western part of Black Down. Part excavations conducted in 1972 by C J Bailey found that the barrow had a mound composed of flint, with an overall diameter of 8m and a maximum height of c.0.55m. This was surrounded by a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument. The ditch, which had become infilled with flint material, was found to survive as a buried feature 2m wide and 0.4m deep. Excavation also identified the presence of a crouched adult inhumation associated with Early Bronze Age pottery sherds on the old ground surface underlying the barrow mound. ASSESSMENT OF IMPORTANCE Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They comprise closely-spaced groups of up to 30 round barrows - rubble or earthen mounds covering single or multiple burials. Most cemeteries developed over a considerable period of time, often many centuries, and in some cases acted as a focus for burials as late as the early medieval period. They exhibit considerable diversity of burial rite, plan and form, frequently including several different types of round barrow, occasionally associated with earlier long barrows. Where large scale investigation has been undertaken around them, contemporary or later "flat" burials between the barrow mounds have often been revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland Britain, with a marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases, they are clustered around other important contemporary monuments such as henges. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape, whilst their diversity and their longevity as a monument type provide important information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving or partly-surviving examples are considered worthy of protection. Despite reduction by ploughing, the bowl barrow 770m north of Whatcombe House is known from part excavation to survive and to contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the cemetery and the landscape in which it was constructed. SCHEDULING HISTORY Records show monument included in the Schedule on 31st October 1957 as part of: COUNTY/NUMBER: Dorset 314 NAME: Group of round barrows on SW part of Black Down Monument's inclusion in the Schedule was confirmed on 9th October 1981. Monument included as part of: COUNTY/NUMBER: Dorset 314 NAME: Group of round barrows on SW part of Black Down The reference of this monument is now: NATIONAL MONUMENT NUMBER: 22977 NAME: Bowl barrow 770m north of Whatcombe House, forming part of the round barrow cemetery on the south western part of Black Down SCHEDULING AFFIRMED ON 22nd April 1996

Record last edited

Mar 1 2018 11:48AM