| Summary : Three confluent bowl barrows, listed by Grinsell as Wilcot 3a-c, part of the Gopher Wood barrow group (see SU 16 SW 17). All three mounds were dug into by Thurnam in 1863. Nothing was found in 3a, while 3b and 3c each contained a deposit of cremated bone in a pit dug into the chalk beneath the mound. Ordnance Survey field investigation described the monument as a single mound 29 metres long and up to 16 metres wide, aligned east-west, and with three slight rises visible in profile. Maximum surviving height is 1.1 metres. The ditch surrounding the whole monument is circa 0.6 metres deep, and cuts barrows SU 16 SW 176 and 178. |
More information : NB this barrow was originally recorded as part of SU 16 SW 17. That record should be consulted for some additional sources and information.
Wilcot 3a-c: 3 confluent bowl barrows, each having hollows in the centre. Excavated by John Thurnam. Surrounded by a ditch. 3a (the most westerly) - interment not reached. 3b (centre) - primary cremation. 3c (east) - primary cremation. (1)
SU 13976395. A mound 29.0m long E-W by 16.0m overall, has three slight rises in its profile, the only surviving evidence of the three confluent bowl barrows. The mound rises up to 1.1m in height above a 0.6m deep ditch, which overlies barrows SU 16 SW 176 and 178. (2)
Colt Hoare refers to the site as an oblong barrow "of low elevation, and has three depressions at equal distances, indicating as many places of interment." On August 20th 1863, "on the occasion of the Meeting of the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society at Devizes" (as good a reason as any, presumably) John Thurnam dug into each of these three depressions. In the most westerly, "If any interment corresponding to the western depression exist, it was not reached by our excavations". As for the other two, "two simple deposits of burnt bones were found in cists in the chalk rock, corresponding to the eastern and second depression. There were no other objects of any description". (3,-5). |