More information : Two Barrows (Tumuli) [O.E.] [SX 7065 7919 and SX 7065 7921] (1)
The northern barrow was excavated in 1872. It measures 40 feet
in diameter and 4 1/2 feet high. A ring of stones encircled the
barrow and in the centre was a small cairn. A cremation burial
was found to the SE of the centre covered by five flat stones.
With the cremation was the blade of a bronze dagger and a
pommel made from amber with a decoration consisting of rows of
gold pins (a).
(Plan photograph A0/60/12/3).
Kendrick dates the dagger to the end of the Early Bronze Age,
perhaps c. 1400 B.C. (b). Lady Fox refers to its as an outline
of the Wessex culture, with the cairn ring and central cairn
representing the equivalent of a disc barrow (c).
The pommel is in the Museum of the Plymouth Institute. (d). (2)
The northern cairn is 1.2 m. high with a depression in the top
and a boundary stone inscribed "Two Burrows".
The southern cairn is 1.0 m. high. Both are misshapen and
are now grass and heather covered.
A 25" survey has been made. (3)
(SX 70657919; SX 70657921) Two Barrows (NR) (4)
Barrow. (5)
SX 7064 7920: Two Barrows: two round barrows situated in a prominent
position on the broad ridge of Hamel Down, in a shallow saddle
between Hameldown Beacon to the S and Broad Barrow to the N. The N-S
ridge-top track passes close to the E.
1. SX 7064 7920 The N barrow:
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A steep-sided, almost circular heather-covered mound 17.5 - 18.5m in
diameter and 1.6m high. A slight break in slope halfway down, with small stones showing through, probably marks the outer edge of the stone ring revealed by excavation (see below). Otherwise the mound appears to be earthen. A slight scarp averaging 0.3m high runs around the foot of the barrow on the W arc.
Spence-Bate's section suggests that the barrow was flat-topped (2a):
the boundary stone is now re-set on the N lip. Just S of it is an E-W
linear depression B, 0.3m deep spanning the top; this is the N edge
of Spence-Bate's excavation trench which was a rectangular cut 25ft
(7.62m) wide entering from the S side of the mound. The entire barrow
top and S slope are therefore the product of his backfill: mounding
from this is evident at A. There is relatively recent, minor digging
at C and some turf and soil erosion around the boundary stone and on
the NE margin of the mound.
Spence-Bate's excavation in 1872 revealed a barrow essentially of
black, peaty and clayey earth with a prominent stone bank or
cairn-ring surrounding and revetting it. A small central cairn had no
burial beneath it. A single cremation was found under one of five
stone slabs laid directly on the ground surace in the SE quadrant of
the barrow: a fragment of human skull was identified together with
the famous bronze dagger with amber pommel inlaid with gold pins (2a).
Fox regarded this barrow as an earth and stone composite with outer
stone ring and central cairn, one of a distinct structural type with
parallel at the nearby Broad Barrow (SX 77 NW 1) and Single Barrow
(SX 77 NW 22). The burial was viewed as an outlier of the Wessex
culture (2c).
2. SX 7065 7918 The S barrow:-
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An oval, stony mound measuring 15.5m
E-W and 10.5m N-S. It stands up to 1.1m high and was probably
originally bowl-profiled. The N slope is spit by a narrow path and a
N-S slope across the top of the barrow has caused minor damage. It
appears to be unexcavated. The mounds is crossed by a maintained
drystone field wall, approaching from the SE and turning W on the
barrow. The wall is built over the mound and does not seem to have
caused much damage.
This barrow appears to have been a target point for a reave,
Fleming's Hameldon South (6) (see SX 77 NW 74), approaching from the
E and stopping 3.5m short of the mound. The reave line is continued W
by the modern wall beyond the barrow.
The purpose made boundary stone on the N barrow has a rounded head
and is inscribed: "Two Burrows" [E face] and "D S 1854" [W face]. It
is one of a series marking the bounds of Natsworthy Manor, which at
that time belonged to Edward Augustus Seymour, 11th Duke of Somerset
(7).
Grinsell's MANATON 12 [N barrow] and WIDECOMBE 3 [S barrow] (8)
Surveyed at 1:500 (9) (6-9)
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