| Summary : A bell barrow, part of the Oakley Down barrow group (SU 01 NW 19). Listed by RCHME as Wimborne St Giles 102 and by Grinsell as Wimborne St Giles 16, it was described by RCHME as a mound 85 feet in diameter and 11 feet high, surrounded by a berm 12 feet wide and a very shallow ditch 20 feet across. It was dug into in the early 19th century by Cunnington and Hoare (their barrow 16). Hoare's account is as follows: "No. 16 is the largest barrow in the whole group, and has baffled our attempts, although we made a section of twelve feet square, and dug to the depth of twelve feet six inches. On the floor of the barrow we perceived evident marks of cremation". This last remark would appear to refer to traces of burning rather than to the presence of cremated human bone. |