Bell barrow in Millicent's Plantation

Reasons for Designation

Bell barrows, the most visually impressive form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating to the Early and Middle Bronze Age, with most examples belonging to the period 1500-1100 BC. They occur either in isolation or in round barrow cemeteries and were constructed as single or multiple mounds covering burials, often in pits, and surrounded by an enclosure ditch. The burials are frequently accompanied by weapons, personal ornaments and pottery and appear to be those of aristocratic individuals, usually men. Bell barrows (particularly multiple barrows) are rare nationally, with less than 250 known examples, most of which are in Wessex. Their richness in terms of grave goods provides evidence for chronological and cultural links amongst early prehistoric communities over most of southern and eastern England as well as providing an insight into their beliefs and social organisation. As a particularly rare form of round barrow, all identified bell barrows would normally be considered to be of national importance.

Despite some disturbance by past excavation and military vehicles, the bell barrow in Millicent's Plantation survives comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed.

Details

The monument includes a bell barrow situated on a prominent low ridge. The barrow has a mound composed of earth, sand and turf, with maximum dimensions of 20m in diameter and about 2m in height. There is a hollow on top of the mound 5m in diameter and 0.5m deep, likely to be the result of past excavation. This has become infilled over the years. Surrounding the mound is a berm, or gently sloping platform 3m wide and most clearly visible on the eastern side. Surrounding the berm is a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument. The ditch is visible as an earthwork 3m wide and about 0.3m deep, except to the south west, where it has become infilled and will survive as a buried feature. All fence posts and the warning signs and supporting posts, are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them 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:

35238

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 454

End of official list entry

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