More information : (Centred SU 08907140) Tumuli (NR). (1) A group of two bowl and two saucer barrows. ('A' SU 08877135) Avebury 45: a ditched bowl barrow, on the Winterbourne boundary. Dimensions, 20 paces in diameter by 6ft high. ('B': SU 08857142) Winterbourne Monkton 3: bowl barrow with interrupted ditch, 26 paces in diameter by 6ft high. ('C': CU 08917144) Winterbourne Monkton 4: saucer barrow, mound 31ft in diameter by 1ft high; ditch 11ft wide by 6 in deep; outer bank 15ft wide by 6ins high. (2) ('D': SU 0895 7146) Winterbourne Monkton 4a; saucer barrow, mound 46ft in diameter by 1ft high; ditch 9ft wide by 6 ins deep; outer bank 11ft wide by 6 ins high. 'A': A ditched bowl barrow, the mound is 27.0m in diameter and 2.0 high but there are only slight surface indications of the ditch. Mutilated. 'B': A ditched bowl barrow up to 34.0m in diameter with a 2.6m high mound and an 0.6m deep ditch. Mutilated. 'C': A well preserved saucer barrow 28.0m in overall diameter with an 0.7m high mound, 0.6m deep ditch and an 0.2m high outer bank. 'D': A saucer barrow up to 26.0m in diameter with an 0.4m high mound, an 0.4m deep ditch but only vestiges of an outer bank. Resurveyed at 1:2500. (3)
This group of barrows was covered by RCHME survey of Windmill Hill, undertaken in 1990. Details as follows:
A - Grinsell's Avebury 45, SU 08877135 - a badly damaged bowl barrow which is now sub-rectangular in shape with a maximum diameter of 23m. The mound, where best preserved 2.0m in height, is enclosed within a ditch up to 1.5 - 3m wide and 0.3m deep. The parish boundary, which approaches from the west, has encroached upon the western half of the barrow ditch and mound.
B - Grinsell's Winterbourne Monkton 3, SU 08857141 - a bowl barrow c25m in diameter, standing to a height of 3.0m, and partially enclosed within an interrupted ditch 4m wide in places up to 0.8m in depth. The barrow clearly impinges upon the ditch of the causewayed enclosure.
C - Grinsell's Winterbourne Monkton 4, SU 08917144 - a saucer barrow which consists of a low mound 10m in diameter standing to a height of c1.0m, and placed centrally within a circular enclosure 18m wide. The enclosure is defined by a continuous ditch 5m wide and 0.6m deep with an external bank 2m wide and 0.3m high.
D - Grinsell's Winterbourne Monkton 4a, SU 08957146 - a saucer barrow comprising a low spread oval shaped mound 15m in length on its longest axis. The surrounding ditch is 6m wide and up to 0.3m in depth with traces of an external bank surrounding it on all sides except the north west. (4)
Documentary sources dealing with the round barrows on Windmill Hill were examined as part of the RCHME project on Industry and Enclosure in the Neolithic.
Avebury 45 appears to be Smith's (5a) barrow 'e', described by him as "a large barrow, bowl-shaped; half grass, half ploughed over; opened at top...". This barrow does not appear to be mentioned by Goddard (5b).
Winterbourne Monkton 3 appears to be Smith's barrow 'd', described by him as "a large barrow, very wide, grass; opened at the top...". This is Goddard's Winterbourne Monkton 3.
Winterbourne Monkton 4 appears to be Smith's barrow 'i', described as "...a beautiful little disc-shaped barrow, surrounded with a wide ring or ditch; total diameter, including ditch and outer bank, twenty-five yards: the middle of this barrow is scarcely higher than the surrounding down. It is situated on the sloping side of the hill towards the north-east...; not opened; no tump in the centre...". This is mentioned by Goddard as either Winterbourne Monkton 4 or 4a.
Winterbourne Monkton 4a appears to be Smith's barrow 'k', described as "...another disc-shaped barrow, surrounded by a trench, the centre not higher than the down around...; no mark of opening, but no tump in the centre." Mentioned by Goddard as either Winterbourne Monkton 4 or 4a. See archive report for full discussion of the barrows in the area. (5)
The four barrows described by the previous authorities were mapped from aerial photographs. (6-9) |