Wardstone Barrow: a bowl barrow on the Dorset coastal ridge 300m south of Chideock Farm

Reasons for Designation

Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most examples belonging to the period 2400-1500 BC. They were constructed as earthen or rubble mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered single or multiple burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as cemeteries and often acted as a focus for burials in later periods. Often superficially similar, although differing widely in size, they exhibit regional variations in form and a diversity of burial practices. There are over 10,000 surviving bowl barrows recorded nationally (many more have already been destroyed), occurring across most of lowland Britain. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable variation of form and longevity as a monument type provide important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisations amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.

Despite partial excavation, Wardstone Barrow is largely intact and will contain archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed. This is one of numerous barrows which survive locally and, as such will contribute to our understanding of Bronze Age settlement in the area.

Details

This monument includes a bowl barrow prominently situated on the Dorset coastal ridge. The barrow mound measures 15m in diameter and stands to 2m high. Surrounding the mound is a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument. This has been infilled over the years and can hardly be seen at ground level. Except for a slight earthwork on the west side of the mound, it survives as a buried feature c.3m wide. Partial excavation of the mound in 1867 revealed a bucket urn containing what was probably a Bronze Age cremation. The urn, which is now destroyed, was found near the middle of the barrow on the original ground surface. The barrow used to be one of a pair, but the eastern mound has now been levelled. A post and wire fence crosses the east side of the mound which also supports wooden posts and a telegraph pole. These features are excluded from the scheduling although the ground beneath is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

21913

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Farrar, R A H, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Soc in Archaeological Fieldwork In Dorset, Vol. 77, (1955), 127-8

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