Monument record MDO3398 - Bowl barrow on Sheep Down, Winterbourne Steepleton
Please read our guidance about the use of Dorset Historic Environment Record data.
Summary
Site of a Bronze Age bowl barrow. Recorded as an extant mound by RCHM and excavated in 1982. Also visible as an earthwork and cropmark on aerial photographs.
Map
Type and Period (1)
Full Description
One of two round barrows: `B` Bowl (SY 61288898) on slight north-west slope 330 yds east-north-east of `A` across a shallow combe.Recorded as an extant mound by the RCHM, measuring 40ft. In diameter and 3.5ft. high, with an excavation hollow on top. <1> <3>
`B` SY 61288897. Bowl barrow in arable. Diameter 13.0m. Height 1.0m. Maximum. No visible ditch. Re-surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD. <4>
Barrow B was excavated by Peter Woodward in 1982. Only a quarter of the barrow was excavated, a single BA cremation occuring within the barrow and a second south of the outer ditch. A BA Cemetery containing 3 cremations was located adjacent to the barrow and to the NE. Woodward concluded that this was a Bronze Age bowl barrow, adjacent to a contemporary enclosure (possible saucer barrow) to the north-east. The structure of the barrow has been greatly reduced by medieval arable incursion and previous antiquarian activities. <5>
<6>
Also visible as an earthwork and a cropmark on aerial photographs <9-11>, measuring approximately 14.4 metres in diameter. This site was digitally plotted during the South Dorset Ridgeway Mapping Project.
Sources/Archives (12)
- <1> SWX1540 Map: Ordnance Survey. Ordnance Survey Map 6in. 6 inch to 1 mile. 1963.
- <2> SDO132 Monograph: Grinsell, L V. 1959. Dorset Barrows. 156.
- <3> SDO150 Monograph: Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England). 1970. An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3. 473.
- <4> SDO11900 Unpublished document: Barton, J G. Various. Field Investigators Comments JGB. F1 JGB 28-FEB-80.
- <5> SDO82 Serial: Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society. 1983. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1982. 104. 173-5.
- <6> SDO12304 Index: Papworth, M. 1983. The South Dorset Ridgeway Project: condition and management survey.
- <7> SDO11947 Monograph: Woodward, Peter J. 1991. The South Dorset Ridgeway. Survey and Excavations 1977-84.
- <8> SDO12407 Unpublished document: Wessex Archaeology. 2011. South Dorset Ridgeway Barrow Survey 2010.
- <9> SDO11790 Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 17-JAN-1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1934 3097-8.
- <10> SDO11791 Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 04-NOV-1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1824 4279-81.
- <11> SDO11807 Aerial Photograph: 21-4-1984. NMR OS/84038 359-60.
- <12> SDO14739 Digital archive: National Record of the Historic Environment. 452351.
Finds (6)
- NECKLACE (Early Bronze Age - 1950 BC to 1701 BC)
- DAGGER (Early Bronze Age - 1950 BC to 1750 BC)
- WHETSTONE (Early Bronze Age - 1950 BC to 1701 BC)
- BARBED AND TANGED ARROWHEAD (Early Bronze Age - 1950 BC to 1701 BC)
- STUD (Early Bronze Age - 1950 BC to 1701 BC)
- AWL (Early Bronze Age - 1950 BC to 1701 BC)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (2)
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SY 6128 8897 (19m by 19m) (3 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | SY68NW |
| Civil Parish | Winterbourne Steepleton; Dorset |
| Unitary Authority | Dorset |
Protected Status/Designation
Other Statuses/References
- Legacy UID: Dorset Sites and Monuments Record: 1 133 051
- Legacy UID: National Monuments Record: SY 68 NW 29 B
- Legacy UID: National Record of the Historic Environment: 452351
- Royal Commission Inventory Reference: Winterbourne Steepleton 51
Record last edited
Dec 14 2023 12:56PM