Monument record MDO4956 - Thickthorn Down Long Barrow, Tarrant Hinton

A long barrow situated on the flat top of a chalk ridge. In 1972 this monument was described as a heavily-ploughed oval earthwork. The mound was around 110 feet long, 70 feet wide and 3 feet high at its highest point.

A Neolithic long barrow located near Thickthorn Farm on the almost flat summit of a chalk ridge. Orientated south-southeast by north-northwest, RCHME <3> described it as a heavily ploughed mound of oval appearance, 110 feet by 70 feet and up to 3 feet high. Traces of a ditch were visible on the gound, and appeared to encircle the whole mound. Barrett et al <6> appear to regard it as a "u-shaped mound", ie open at one end. An air photograph published by RCHME in the Bokerley Dyke volume appears to show parallel flanking ditches <4-5> however, while a linear ditch skirts around the barrow's southern end. The barrow shares a broad alignment with the long barrows ST 91 SE 21 and 23, and the southwestern terminal of the Dorset Cursus. In the case of the barrows, all three share the alignment with the chalk ridge they lie upon. The cursus is presumed to be later than the other two barrows. The barrow is visible as a low elongated mound and measured by Lidar as having the dimensions of 32m by 21m and measuring just under 1m in height. Geophysical survey in 2021 revealed a linear anomaly on each side of the mound; these most probably represent the original quarry ditches for the long barrow. Other anomalies suggest a ditch which deviates to pass the southern side of the barrow. <8>

Record last edited

May 3 2023 2:03PM