Monument record MDO7270 - Bowl barrow, Chaldon Herring

A Bronze Age bowl barrow, probably part of the linear barrow cemetery, the Five Marys, is visible as an earthwork on lidar imagery to the north of Chaldon Herring.

A group of barrows known as the Five Marys and shown as 'Five Meers' (boundary marks) on Taylor's Map of Dorset 1765. (See Concordance card for individual barrows and details). Two of the barrows were excavated under the direction of the exiled Duchess of Berri who resided at Lulworth Castle after the dethronement of Charles X of France (in 1830). In one barrow, a deep chalk-cut grave contained two adult inhumations (male and female in a 'sitting' (contracted) position with stag antlers placed on each shoulder of both burials. In the other barrow were the remains of a similar inhumation (male) with stag antlers overlying each shoulder, also contained within a chalk- cut grave. <1> <2> An Abercromby Type 4 Deverel Group 2 urn containing cremated bone was also found. Now in Dorchester Museum (4). RCHM suggest that 'A' and 'C' (see Concordance) were the two barrows excavated. <4> <6> <7> The Five Marys (name not confirmed) - a group of barrows centred SY 79038420. 'F' SY 79108420. Barrow with a possible berm visible on west side only which may be mutilation; on all other sides resembles a bowl. Diameter overall 26.0m., height 2.2m., with a ditch 4.5m. wide visible on all sides except the south. <5> The probable pond barrow at SY 79008421 was not found. Re-surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD. <8> A Bronze Age bowl barrow, immediately to the east of the Five Marys group and probably part of the same cemetery, is visible as an earthwork on lidar imagery <11> to the north of Chaldon Herring. The barrow is sub-circular and measures 18 m in diameter. An external ditch is visible on its southern, eastern and western sides. This feature was digitally plotted as part of the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.

Record last edited

Jan 22 2024 12:34PM