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 bowl and pond barrow aligned east-west, and forming
part of the Poor Lot round barrow cemetery, situated on the South Dorset Downs
within the valley bottom of the South Winterbourne. These are two of the 44
barrows which are known to occur within the Poor Lot cemetery.
The bowl barrow to the west has a mound composed of earth and chalk, with a
maximum diameter of 16m and a maximum height of c.1.75m. This is surrounded by
a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the
monument. This has become infilled over the years, but is known to survive as
a buried feature 3m wide.
The pond barrow, which is situated 50m to the east of the bowl barrow, is
enclosed by an outer bank with maximum dimensions of 6m in width and c.0.65m
in height. This encloses a sunken sub-circular area which is c.0.8m deep, 25m
from east to west and 30m from north to south. The verge of the road to the
north east has removed part of the outer bank of the barrow. There is a gap in
the bank on the south western side of the monument c.1m in width which may
represent an entrance.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
22940
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
