Details

The monument, which falls into two areas, includes a cemetery containing five
round barrows, all situated on a gentle, south east facing slope, to the
south east of Maiden Castle. The barrows were surveyed by the Ordnance Survey
in 1955, and recorded by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of
England (RCHME) in 1970.

The north western example is a bowl barrow, visible as a mound composed of
earth, chalk and flint, with maximum dimensions of 16m in diameter and c.0.4m
in height. The mound is surrounded by a quarry ditch which has become infilled
over the years, but will survive as a buried feature c.1.5m wide.

To the south east are a pair of round barrows aligned north east-south west.
The north eastern example is a pond barrow, defined by a bank which, although
reduced by ploughing, is known from aerial photographic evidence to survive in
part defining an area 18m in diameter. The south western example represents a
bowl barrow, visible as a mound 28m in diameter and c.0.45m high. The mound is
surrounded by a quarry ditch which has become infilled, but which will survive
as a buried feature c.2m wide.

Further to the south east, are a pair of disc barrows aligned north west by
south east. Survey by the RCHME demonstrated that the north west barrow has a
central mound 18m in diameter surrounded by a ditch and outer bank, forming an
overall diameter of 45m. The outer bank has been reduced by ploughing and the
quarry ditch has become infilled, but will survive as a buried feature. The
south eastern disc barrow is now visible as a mound with maximum dimensions of
31m in diameter and c.0.25m in height. Despite reduction by ploughing, the
outer bank and ditch of the south eastern barrow are known to survive and to
intersect and cut through the bank and ditch of the barrow to the north west.
The south eastern disc barrow was partly excavated by Skinner in 1833-4, when
a central cist containing a cremation in an upright urn was discovered.

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.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

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.

Despite some reduction by ploughing, the round barrow cemetery immediately
south east of Maiden Castle is known from survey and part excavation to
contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the monument and
the landscape in which it was constructed. The cemetery contains disc and pond
barrows, both rare types of round barrow. This forms one of three round barrow
cemeteries to survive in the immediate vicinity of Maiden Castle.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 466
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 466
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 466
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 465-6
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 465-6
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 465-6
Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset: Volume I, (1970), 465-6
Other
Aerial photograph showing ditch,
Mention barrow mound,
Mention reduction in barrow height,
Mention second disc barrow nearby,
Mention wider cemetery,
Mention wider round barrow cemetery,
Reference aerial photographs of ditch,
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:2500 Series
Source Date: 1955
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:
Mapped depiction

Source: Historic England