Monument record MDO7042 - Bowl barrow, one of the 'Three Barrows' on Middlebere Heath, Arne

A ditched bowl barrow is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs. In 1970 this monument was reported as being around 84 feet in diameter with a mound about six and a half feet high.

(Centred SY 93918441) Three Barrows (Tumuli) (NR). (1) Three Bowl Barrows. One ditched. (2) 'A' An almost shapeless mound which is no longer recognisable as a barrow it is badly pitted all over and is much spread out. It probably had a diameter of 15-17m and a height of 1.3m. There is no trace of a surrounding ditch. ? Bowl Barrow. 'B' A badly mutilated mound which measures 20.0m North-South and 7.0m East-West. Height 1.5m. A small portion of the barrow which remains in the Northern quadrant would seem to give an original diameter of approx 10.0m. There is no trace of a surrounding ditch. The construction of a modern bank and ditch in the West probably elongated the barrow Southwards. ? Bowl Barrow. 'C' Is a bowl barrow with a diameter of 24.0m and a height of 2.0m and has a surrounding ditch 2.0m wide and 0.3m deep except in the Eastern quadrant where it has been obliterated by the construction of a modern bank and ditch. There is a hollow 7.0m long, 3.0m wide and 0.2m deep at the Southern base. Heather covered. A-B. Description as Bowl Barrows accepted from Authy 2. C. Bowl Barrow. There were no surface finds in the vicinity of any of these barrows. (3) The Three Barrows lie in an E-W line within 100ft. ring contour on S.W. of Middlebere Heath. All are badly damaged. (42) Ditched bowl (93898441). Diam. 84 ft. ht. 6 1/2 ft, with ditch about 10 ft. wide. Possibly contiguous with (43). (43) Bowl (?) (93918441) immediately E of (42). Ht about 6 ft. (44) Bowl (?), large (93948441), 25 yds E of (43). (4) SY 939845 Three round barrows. Scheduled. (5) (Centred SY 939844) Three Barrows (NR). (6) SY 93888441. Arne 13. SY 93928441. Arne 14. SY 93958441. Arne 15. Three ditched bowl barrows listed. (2) A & B. These two disturbed barrows situated on a high point are covered by dense impenetrable gorse vegetation. Detailed inspection not possible. Published 1:2500 survey accepted. C. This ditched round barrow lies on the edge of an arable field and its fringes are regularly ploughed. The gorse covered mound is 25.0m in diameter and up to 2.0m high; the ditch is 3.0m to 4.0m wide and now has a maximum depth of 0.2m. The hollow on the south side is a vague shallow amorphous depression of unknown origin and purpose. Published 1:2500 survey revised. (7) The barrow is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs (10-11), it was digitally plotted during the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.

Record last edited

Jan 15 2024 12:22PM