Ancient Monuments

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Round barrow on Magiston Hill

A Scheduled Monument in Sydling St. Nicholas, Dorset

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Coordinates

Latitude: 50.7714 / 50°46'17"N

Longitude: -2.5108 / 2°30'38"W

OS Eastings: 364074.151502

OS Northings: 96991.232421

OS Grid: SY640969

Mapcode National: GBR PW.WL11

Mapcode Global: FRA 57M1.PN2

Entry Name: Round barrow on Magiston Hill

Scheduled Date: 26 February 1962

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1002451

English Heritage Legacy ID: DO 656

County: Dorset

Civil Parish: Sydling St. Nicholas

Traditional County: Dorset

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Dorset

Church of England Parish: Godmanstone Holy Trinity

Church of England Diocese: Salisbury

Summary

Bowl barrow 480m north east of Magiston Farm.

Source: Historic England

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 15 February 2016. This record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

This monument includes a bowl barrow situated on the upper south west facing slopes of a spur projecting from Magiston Hill overlooking the valley of the Sydling Water. The barrow survives as a circular mound measuring approximately 11m in diameter and 0.4m high surrounded by a buried quarry ditch from which the construction material was derived.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

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. 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. Despite reduction in the height of the mound through past cultivation the bowl barrow 480m north east of Magiston Farm survives comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, longevity, territorial significance, social organisation, funerary and ritual practices and overall landscape context.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
PastScape 453139

Source: Historic England

Other nearby scheduled monuments

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