Ancient Monuments

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Two bowl barrows 720m south east of Friar Waddon House

A Scheduled Monument in Portesham, Dorset

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Coordinates

Latitude: 50.6675 / 50°40'3"N

Longitude: -2.5032 / 2°30'11"W

OS Eastings: 364531.8207

OS Northings: 85439.8909

OS Grid: SY645854

Mapcode National: GBR PX.3N1F

Mapcode Global: FRA 57N9.SQ0

Entry Name: Two bowl barrows 720m south east of Friar Waddon House

Scheduled Date: 8 August 1957

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1003216

English Heritage Legacy ID: DO 222

County: Dorset

Civil Parish: Portesham

Traditional County: Dorset

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Dorset

Church of England Parish: Portesham St Peter

Church of England Diocese: Salisbury

Details

The monument, which falls into two areas of protection, includes two bowl barrows, situated on the summit of the extremely prominent and steeply sloping Friar Waddon Hill. The barrows survive as circular mounds surrounded by buried quarry ditches, from which the construction material was derived. The western barrow mound is 15m in diameter and 2m high and the eastern mound is 11m in diameter and 0.2m in height.
Further archaeological remains in the vicinity some are scheduled separately.

Sources: HER:-
PastScape Monument No:-452490

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. The two bowl barrows 720m south east of Friar Waddon House survive comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to their construction, relative chronologies, interrelationship, territorial significance, social organisation, ritual and funerary practices and overall landscape context.

Source: Historic England

Other nearby scheduled monuments

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