| Summary : A group of three prehistoric barrows and two possible cairns are visible as earthworks. The first at SS 70894263 is turf-covered and is well-defined as an inverted bowl shape. The second at SS 71044261 has the appearace of an embanked platform. The third at SS 70624265 is smaller, though similar in form to the second. The alleged cairns take the form of a pair of small stoney mounds, adajacent to the central barrow. It has been suggested that they may, in fact, be spoil from one of the barrows, two of which have been robbed. |
More information : ('A' SS 70894263 and 'B' SS 71044261) Tumuli (NR).(1)
Four bowl barrows:-
'A' 26 paces in diam, 6ft high, central depression.
'B' 26 paces in diam. 1 1/2ft high, truncated.
'C' SS 70634267, 16 paces diam 1ft high, truncated.
'D' SS 70864264, 6 paces diam 1ft high, cairn with central depression. (2)
'A'. A bowl barrow 24.0 metres in diameter and 1.5 metres high
with a slight 0.5 metre deep mutilation in the top. B,C,D from their stone content are probably cairns.
'B' 25.5 metres in diameter and 0.5 metres high.
'C' SS 70624264 16.0 metre diameter 0,4 metres high.
'D' SS 70864263 8.0 metres in diameter and 0.4 metres high. Surveyed at 1:2500. (3)
SS 70834263. A group of three barrows an a possible burial cairn located on the ridge between Longstone Barrow and Wood Barrow.
A. SS 70894263. A turf-covered round barrow with a well-defined inverted bowl shape 24.8m N/S by 23.4m and 1.3m high. Some stone could be felt on probing but it is predominantly of earthen construction. The central area has been robbed leaving an oval hollow about 5m N/S by 3.5m and 0.9m deep. The spoil has been dumped around the hollow forming a false cap around the summit area about 0.4m high making the overall height of the barrow some 1.7m. A large stone sits in the centre of the hollow.
This is a Scheduled Monument: Part of Devon 237 (The Longstone Barrow group) (a).
B. SS 71044261. A turf and rush-covered barrow 26.2m N/S by 24.6m. It has the appearance of an embanked platform with the central area about 0.6m high and its outer rim, 3.8m to 5.5m wide, some 0.2m higher. Probing showed that it is mainly earth with a few stones especially in the bank. There is no evidence of a surrounding ditch. It appears to be intact.
This is a Scheduled Monument: Part of Devon 237 (The Longstone Barrow group) (a).
C. SS 70624265. A barrow of similar, though smaller, construction and appearance to B in a damper area. It measures about 15.2m N/S by 14.2m. The central area is about 0.3m high with the outer rim, 1.7m to 3.5m wide, some 0.2m higher. There is a damp hollow in the NW quadrant and there appears to be a slightly raised central area which suggests it may have been robbed. A spur of probably natural ground, about 7m N/S by 5m, protrudes from the W side. (Not Scheduled).
D. SS 70874263. A small stony mound about 5.6m diameter and 0.3m high. There is a hollow, about 1m diameter and 0.2m deep, in the SE quadrant. The mound is not well-defined and is completely different in size and appearance to the surrounding barrows. It is possible that it may be a small sepulchral cairn but it is poor and may be no more than spoil from the barrow 15m to the east. (Not Scheduled).
It should be noted that (as with the other barrows along this ridge from the Chapman Barrows in the west to Wood Barrow in the east) there is a distinct difference between the two types of monuments here. A is clearly a bowl barrow but B and C are definitely lower rimmed platform or ring bank barrows. D, which must remian doubtful does not fit in with the two types.
Surveyed at 1:2500. (4)
SS 7067 4265 'Flat elliptical platform' reported in 1973 by Miss H Eardley-Wilmot and by L V Grinsell in 1980 as 'circular enclosure' visible on air photo. Classed as Barrow by SMR. (5)
The three barrows described above, and the small cairn adjacent to barrow A are clearly visible on aerial photographs, particularly the infra red photography taken for Exmoor National Park Authority in 1981. A second small cairn is visible on these photographs, at SS 7086 4262, slightly to the south west of the first. It appears similar in size and form to the first cairn, measuring 6.8 metres across, and probably represents spoil from the barrow robbing (7).
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