More information : ST 90175147 A doubtful bowl barrow at the entrance to Bratton Castle, 16 paces in diameter and 4 feet high, has a central
mutilation. It is apparently shown on an early 19th century plan of the earthwork. The Cunnington MSS in the Society's Devizes Library includes a letter of 1802 in which Cunnington refers to the
excavation of this barrow and of another 'in the inner work, towards the turning near the lower end of the south side'.
Grinsell does not refer to the latter barrow. (1-3)
It is not possible to determine by inspection whether the
mound described by Grinsell is a barrow or not. Its appearance
is consistent with it being a bowl barrow, but its situation
- at the entrance of the hill fort (ST 95 SW 1) - gives rise to doubt.
Re-surveyed at 1:2500.
The second barrow mentioned by Cunnington cannot be identified. (4-5)
Probable bowl barrow, 12 metres in diameter, 1.3 metres in height, with a central crater, 4 metres across, 0.8 metres deep. No traces of a ditch. Under turf and in fair condition.
1:2500 AM resurvey of 31.8.66 still correct. (6)
Excavated by Whittaker during the 18th century. He identified a
burial with an axe and sword. It is likely this was an intrusive
secondary burial, early Medieval in date?. (7)
A Bronze Age round barrow situated within the inner rampart and out-turned outer rampart to the east of the southern entrance. It survives as an earthwork 16 metres in diameter and 1.2 metres high, with a central hollow. (8)
The excavations located a secondary inhumation accompanied by an axe and sword. The grave goods indicate an early-middle Saxon date for the burial. (9) |