Reasons for Designation
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.
Details
The monument includes a linear round barrow cemetery aligned east-west and
lying on lowland heath close to the Dorset coast.
The monument includes five barrows, four of which are bowl barrows and one a
pond barrow. The pond barrow is the second most westerly of the group.
The pond barrow survives as a shallow depression 15.2m in diameter. The bowl
barrows appear as upstanding earthworks with mounds ranging between 0.5m and
2m high and between 17m and 20m across.
Each of the bowl barrow mounds was surrounded by a ditch from which material
was quarried during their construction. Some of these survive as slight
depressions, and some can no longer be seen at ground level, having become
infilled over the years; these survive as buried features. All are c.4m wide.
One of these barrows was opened in 1790 and contained a cremation burial in a
Late Bronze Age urn. The bowl barrows may also have been opened between 1825
and 1832 by J F Pennie.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
21937
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
