| Summary : A Bronze Age bell barrow, known as Amesbury 43, survives as earthworks and forms part of the Cursus barrow cemetery (Monument Number 219681). The round barrow measures 60m in diameter and comprises a roughly circular central mound, 3.4m high, which sits on a plinth and is surrounded by a concentric ring ditch. Berms separate the mound from the edge of the plinth, and the bottom of the plinth and the ditch. The barrow was opened by Lord Pembroke in 1722, reopened by Stukeley in 1723 and is Colt Hoare's Barrow 28. It was listed as Amesbury 43 by Goddard and by Grinsell (as a bell barrow). In 1913 Maud Cunnington noted it was in good condition having never been ploughed. The round barrow was surveyed by English Heritage in April 2009 as part of the Stonehenge WHS Landscape Project. The north and eastern parts of the barrow have been damaged by construction of the mid-18th century turnpike road (Monument Number 959704). |
More information : `A' - SU 12024278; Amesbury 43, a bell barrow with an overall diameter of 185ft. (1) Colt Hoare's barrow 28, opened by Lord Pembroke in 1722, no record of excavation. (2)
Amesbury 43; a ditched bell barrow 58m in overall diameter and 4.2m high, has a central mutilation. (3)
Originally recorded as Amesbury 43 by Goddard. With a note by Maud Cunnington: condition good, 1913, never ploughed. (4)
The barrow is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs, and has been mapped by both RCHME's Salisbury Plain Training Area NMP and EH's Stonehenge WHS Mapping Project. (6-8)
In 1723 Stukeley dug to a depth of 10ft and found a heap of coggles or flints at 6ft but nothing beneath them. (9)
The Bronze Age bell barrow referred to above (1-9) was surveyed at 1:1000 scale by English Heritage in April 2009 as part of the Stonehenge WHS Landscape Project. The round barrow measures 60m in diameter and comprises a roughly circular central mound, 3.4m high, which sits on a plinth and is surrounded by a concentric ring ditch. Berms separate the barrow mound from the edge of the plinth (measuring 3.5m to 5m wide) and the bottom of the plinth and the ring-ditch (between 1m and 6m wide). The top of the mound measures 9m and the base is 14m in diameter. The ring ditch measures 8m wide and 0.7m deep. The plinth, which has a diameter of 38m, suggests at least two phases of construction activity.
The north and eastern parts of the barrow mound were damaged by construction of the 18th century turnpike road (Monument Number 959704). A corresponding rise is visible where the route crosses the ditch to the north-west of the mound. Two Bronze Age pottery sherds found during the survey suggest cremation burials are likely to be found on the lower berm. The roughly circular depression in the top of the mound may relate to an early excavation and damage on the southern side of the mound is probably due to more recent tree cover. (10-11)
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