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MONARCH OF THE PLAIN

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The Monarch of the Plain (Amesbury 55) is a very large Bronze Age bell barrow which survives as an earthwork. It comprises a circular mound which sits on a sloping berm, surrounded by a ring ditch. The monument stands 2.8m above the surrounding ground level and measures a maximum of 58m in diameter. Excavation by Colt Hoare (Barrow 40) in the early 19th century found only charred wood. The barrow was listed by Goddard and Grinsell as Amesbury 55. The round barrow was surveyed at 1:1,000 scale by English Heritage in March 2010 as part of the Stonehenge WHS Landscape Project. It has been damaged by burrowing rabbits and early 20th century vehicular activity.

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(SU 11084276) Tumulus (AT). (1)

SU 11094276, Amesbury 55. A bell barrow with an overall diameter of
162 ft; it has a slightly raised berm (2). Excavations by Colt Hoare (Barrow 40) located `charred wood etc', but no interment. (3)

An outstanding example of a bell barrow; diameter about 53
metres, maximum height 4.6m, sloping berm.

Published 1:2500 survey revised. (4)

Originally recorded as Amesbury 55 by Goddard. (5)

The barrow falls within the area mapped from aerial photographs by both RCHME's Salisbury Plain Training Area NMP and EH's Stonehenge WHS Mapping Project. It has been included on the survey maps, but is covered by trees, and no further information could be added from aerial photographic evidence. (7)

The Monarch of the Plain (Amesbury 55) round barrow was surveyed at 1:1,000 scale by English Heritage in March 2010 as part of the Stonehenge WHS Landscape Project. A very large bell barrow; it measures 58m in diameter and comprises a circular mound atop a sloping berm, surrounded by an incomplete ring ditch. The top of the mound measures 16m in diameter and is 2.8m above the surrounding ground level but only 2m above the top of the berm. The base of the mound has a diameter of 27.5m. The berm is fairly irregular and measures between 35m in diameter from south-west to north-east and 40m from south-east to north-west. Its outer edge rises c 1.2m above the base of the ditch. The ditch measures between 6m and 10m wide and is a maximum of 0.4m below the surrounding ground surface. The round barrow has been damaged by burrowing rabbits and early 20th century vehicular activity. (8-9)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1961

( 2) edited by R B Pugh and Elizabeth Crittall 1957 A history of Wiltshire: volume 1, part 1

The Victoria history of the counties of England L Grinsell: Archaeological Gazetteer Page(s)207

(3) by Sir Richard Colt Hoare; introduction by Jack Simmons and D D A Simpson 1975 The ancient history of Wiltshire

Page(s)164

( 4) Field Investigators Comments

F1 ANK 05-JAN-71

(5) The Wiltshire archaeological and natural history magazine

EH Goddard: A list of prehistoric, Roman and pagan Saxon antiquities in the county of Wiltshire... 38, 1913-14 Page(s)169

(6) by Frances Blore, et al. 1995 Archaeological assessment of the Stonehenge World Heritage Site and its surrounding landscape

Record number 554 Page(s)187

(7) RCHME/EH Aerial Photographers Comment

English Heritage: Stonehenge WHS Mapping Project

(8) Field Investigators Comments

Sharon Bishop/30-JUL-2010/English Heritage: Stonehenge WHS Landscape Project

(9) Research Department Report Series

Komar A M & Bishop, S 'Fargo South.' Stonehenge World Heritage Site Landscape Project. Archaeological survey report. RDRS 96-2010. Swindon: English Heritage. 96-2010

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