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Summary

One of a group of at least six barrows clustered together in no obvious formation, part of a larger barrow cemetery on Broad Down and visible as a distinct earthwork on images derived from lidar data captured in 2016. Excavated in 19th century, cremation and shale cup found.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Group of at least six barrows at northern end of Broad Down, part of Broad Down barrow cemetery
• Scheduled Monument 1017642: Round barrow cemetery on Broad Down

Other References/Statuses

• MPP Archaeological Item Dataset: 144376
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY19SE/41
• Old SAM County Ref: 241H
• Old SAM Ref: 29634
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SY19SE12A

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ROUND BARROW (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC)

Full description

Ministry of Public Building and Works, Southleigh and Fairway Group of Barrows on Broad Down (Schedule Document). SDV342868.

Southern section of a Bronze Age cemetery, all are round barrows without visible ditches. Thirteen more or less intact, others recently destroyed by deep cultivation. In triangular field, undisturbed, fairly large mound. Other details: Barrow H.

Hutchinson, P. O., 1848-1894, Diaries (Un-published). SDV339321.

Diary entry for 25th March 1871. Hutchinson No 53. One of the large barrows, examined by Kirwan in 1868. There may have been a fosse around it, but few traces remain. Trench dug through it. Sort of pavement of rough flints found. Upon the pavement rested a layer of charcoal, upon which was a flattened mass of disintegrated calcined bones. Lumps of red war paint or ruddle found. The Kimmeridge Coal drinking cup found close to this central deposit.

Kirwan, R., 1868, Memoir of the Examination of Three Barrows at Broad Down, Farway, near Honiton, 624-34 (Article in Serial). SDV123831.

Situated in a field to the east of the road, overlooking Roncombe Gate. Traces of a shallow ditch or fosse around it. Surface worn down by plough. Remains of a circle of stones may still be traced around a neighbouring barrow. The mound was formed of alternate layers of peat and blue clay. At centre of barrow was a layer of charcoal with nodules of ruddle and beneath it, a thin ferruginous seam, probably the result of heat. Iron ore abundant. A layer of flint stones was placed under the charcoal, forming a kind of pavement, four metres by three metres. The interstices between the stones were filled up with blue clay. Natural surface of the ground under this. Interment consisted of a simple deposit of calcined bones resting upon the charcoal, which spread out from the bones, and covered the layer of flint stones. A drinking cup was uncovered a little way to the east of this. Nothing else found in the barrow. Other details: Figure 1, Plates 1-2.

Kirwan, R., 1869, Untitled Source, 279 (Article in Serial). SDV342872.

Worth, R. N., 1880, 2nd Report of the Barrow Committee, 131-2 (Article in Serial). SDV123157.

Other details: Illustrations.

Fox, A., 1948, The Broad Down (Farway) Necropolis and the Wessex Culture in Devon, 18 (Article in Serial). SDV123165.

Barrow no 36. Ditch 20 feet wide. Diameter 105 feet, height 7 feet.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1975 - 1980, SY19SE12 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV342869.

Barrow A, Broad Down. Visited 19th November 1975. Mound 95 feet in diameter and 8 feet high in 1868 when it was excavated by Kirwan, producing a cremation and a shale cup. In 1948, diameter 105 feet, height 7 feet with a ditch 20 feet wide. Other details: Plan.

Robinson, R., 1982, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1982 (Un-published). SDV345608.

Site visited by Department of Environment Field Monument Warden on 7th July 1982.

Grinsell, L. V., 1983, The Barrows of South and East Devon, 34 (Article in Serial). SDV337013.

Other details: Barrow 24.

Robinson, R., 1986, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1986 (Un-published). SDV345664.

Site visit by Department of Environment Field Monument Warden on 6th March 1986.

Sainsbury, I. S., 1991, Barrows (Worksheet). SDV342870.

A grass covered circular mound about 31 metres in diameter and 1.3 metres high. Its flat top is about 6 metres in diameter. The surrounding ditch, about 5-6 metres wide and 0.3 metres deep, is still clearly evident around most of the periphery, but has almost disappeared on the east side. There is no trace of Kirwan's excavation trench.

Simpson, S. J. + Noble, S., 1993, Archaeological Survey and Management Study of Areas on Gittisham Hill, Farway Hill, and Broad Down, East Devon, 25 (Report - Survey). SDV123162.

Visited on 4th November 1992. Stable, in pasture field.

Salvatore, J. P., 1997, Bowl Barrow, Part of a Group in Seven Barrow Field on Broad Down, 144376 (Un-published). SDV342883.

Visited on 12th August 1997. Large relatively flat-topped mound, 1.4 metres high, 34 metres in diameter, with faint traces of surrounding ditch which could not be measured due to unharvested crop.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 1998, Round Barrow Cemetery on Broad Down (Schedule Document). SDV342874.

One of a group of at least six barrows, in a field known as Seven Barrow Field, clustered together in no obvious formation. Part of a larger barrow cemetery on Broad Down, in which some of the barrows are arranged in linear formation, some are clustered in groups or pairs and others are relatively isolated. The height of the barrow mounds in Seven Barrow Field varies between 0.2 and 1.7 metres which represents the highest survival in the cemetery as a whole. The diameter of their mounds varies between 14 and 34 metres. At least one of the group has evidence for a surrounding quarry ditch which is visible as a slight depression around the mound.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, 370 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

English Heritage, 2009, Heritage at Risk Register 2009: South West, 96 (Report - non-specific). SDV342694.

Part of round barrow cemetery on Broad Down. Extensive significant problems. Main vulnerability arable ploughing.

English Heritage, 2010, Heritage at Risk Register 2010: South West, 87 (Report - non-specific). SDV344777.

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

Bluesky International, 2016, LiDAR DTM data (0.5m resolution) Blackdown Hills and East Devon AONBs: 3 transects, LIDAR SY1794 Bluesky International DTM 30-APR-2016 (Cartographic). SDV359714.

The barrow is visible as a distinct earthwork mound.

Sims, R., Knight, S. & Houghton, E., 2020-2021, East Devon AONB Lidar Assessment and Desk based Assessment (Interpretation). SDV363914.

The barrow is visible as a distinct circular earthwork mound on images derived from lidar data captured in 2016 circa 32m across.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8340 - East Devon AONB Lidar Assessment and Desk based Assessment

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