Round barrow cemetery and earlier long barrow on Ailwood Down

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.

Long barrows are burial monuments of Neolithic date. At least 500 have been recorded nationally, of which some 43 are known in Dorset.

The round barrow cemetery and earlier long barrow on Ailwood Down survive well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the development of this area as a burial site during the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods. The cemetery is unusual in that some of the barrows are associated with quarry hollows and some have no ditch at all.

Details

The monument includes a long barrow and a group of 18 bowl barrows known as the Nine Barrow Down round barrow cemetery. All are situated on Ailwood Down, a chalk ridge on the Isle of Purbeck, with views over Poole Harbour to the north east. The long barrow predates the round barrow cemetery. It is orientated south east by north west, and is situated along the southern edge of the ridge top. It has a mound composed of earth, flint and chalk, with maximum dimensions of 32m in length, 12m in width and about 0.5m in height. At the eastern end of the mound is an irregular depression, from which material is likely to have been quarried during its construction. The quarry extends for 20m along the southern side of the mound and for 10m along the northern side. It varies between 0.4m-0.5m in depth and 3m-5m in width. Overlying the eastern edge of the quarry is a bowl barrow, with a mound composed of earth, chalk and flint with a maximum diameter of 13.5m and a maximum height of about 0.75m. The remaining 17 bowl barrows each have a mound composed of earth, chalk and flint, with diameters within the range 5m-31m and maximum heights of between approximately 0.35m-2.15m. Six of the barrow mounds are associated with irregular hollows, while three others have a ditch around the periphery. It is likely that material was quarried from these features during the barrows' construction. A cremation burial was recovered from one of the barrows within the group according to W Miles in 1826. No other excavations are known to have occurred. All fence posts relating to the modern field boundaries 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.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

28321

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
HMSO, , An Inventory of the Historical Monuments of Dorset, (1970), 444
HMSO, , An Inventory of the Historical Monuments of Dorset, (1970), 444
Papworth, M, A Survey of the Ancient Monuments within the Corfe Castle Estate, (1994), 40
Papworth, M, A Survey of the Ancient Monuments within the Corfe Castle Estate, (1994), 40
Papworth, M, A Survey of the Ancient Monuments within the Corfe Castle Estate, (1994), 40
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 444
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 444
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 444
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 444
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 443
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 444
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 432
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 444
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 443
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 443
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 432
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 444
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 444

Other
Mention survey in 1985,
Papworth, M, A list of the ancient monuments within the Corfe Castle Estate, (1994)
Papworth, M, A list of the ancient monuments within the Corfe Castle Estate, (1994)
Papworth, M, A list of the ancient monuments within the Corfe Castle Estate, (1994)
Papworth, M, A list of the ancient monuments within the Corfe Castle Estate, (1994)
Papworth, M, A list of the ancient monuments within the Corfe Castle Estate, (1994)
Papworth, M, A list of the ancient monuments within the Corfe Castle Estate, (1994)
Papworth, M, A list of the ancient monuments within the Corfe Castle Estate, (1994)
Papworth, M, A list of the ancient monuments within the Corfe Castle Estate, (1994)
Papworth, M, A list of the ancient monuments within the Corfe Castle Estate, (1994)
Papworth, M, A list of the ancient monuments within the Corfe Castle Estate, (1994)
Papworth, M, A list of the ancient monuments within the Corfe Castle Estate, (1994)
Papworth, M, A list of the ancient monuments within the Corfe Castle Estate, (1994)
Papworth, M, A list of the ancient monuments within the Corfe Castle Estate, (1994)
Papworth, M, A list of the ancient monuments within the Corfe Castle Estate, (1994)
Papworth, M, A list of the ancient monuments within the Corfe Castle Estate, (1994)
Papworth, M, A list of the ancient monuments within the Corfe Castle Estate, (1994)

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