Name: Winterbourne Poor Lot Barrows
Rating: 5.0

Winterbourne Poor Lot Barrows

The Paddock, Winterbourne Abbas, Dorchester, Dorset DT2 9XD, UK

1-99 Years

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Description

Winterbourne Poor Lot is a 'cemetery' of 44 Bronze Age burial mounds of varying types and sizes, straddling the A35 main road. The motorist driving along the A35 has scarcely a moment to take in this group of barrows, or burial mounds, straddling the road west of Winterbourne Abbas.

These belong to one of several Bronze Age cemeteries in the area, which has the highest density of Bronze Age barrows in the British Isles. In this particular cemetery alone there are 44 barrows, dating from about 1500 BC.

Free Entry. If you are looking for Best place for day out with kids and families then this is the perfect destination offering fun, adventure, and unforgettable memories for everyone.

Features

Free
Host birthday parties: No

Features

History of Winterbourne Poor Lot Barrows: The motorist driving along the A35 has scarcely a moment to take in this group of barrows, or burial mounds, straddling the road west of Winterbourne Abbas. These belong to one of several Bronze Age cemeteries in the area, which has the highest density of Bronze Age barrows in the British Isles. In this particular cemetery alone there are 44 barrows, dating from about 1500 BC.
Types of Barrow: Barrows are traditionally classified according to their shape. Long barrows date from the time of the earliest farmers. Some of them, like West Kennet in Wiltshire, are very large, containing several burial chambers, and remained in use for hundreds of years.
Round barrows, the kind found at Winterbourne, date from the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age, and are usually divided into four types: bowl (steep-sided); bell (where the mound is separated from a surrounding ditch by a narrow platform); disc (flatter, with a wider ditch); and pond (hollow in the middle and surrounded by a bank). However, it is now realised that the present eroded shape of these burial mounds may give little clue to their original appearance thousands of years ago.
The Winterbourne Barrows: All four types of round barrow can be found at Winterbourne, including the rarer disc and pond barrows. Some are in groups of two or three, perhaps suggesting family relationships. The largest barrow is a bowl barrow, at the centre of the group: it has a diameter of 35 metres (115 feet) and is 2.5 metres (8 feet) high. To the west of this is a large group comprising one disc barrow and seven bowl barrows.
Unusually, the Poor Lot Barrows are located across the bottom and sides of a valley, rather than on a ridge or hilltop as was the norm. Very few of the barrows here have been excavated, and we do not know what kind of burials they contain. Some may contain bodies, although by the Early Bronze Age cremation had become common: the ashes of the dead were placed in pots with a raised band around the top, known as collared urns. Sometimes food vessels are found with the urn, and occasionally weapons such as bronze daggers or stone axe heads.

Facilities

Parking: Turn left off the A35 along Longland's Lane approximately 1/2 a mile west of Winterbourne Abbas. Continue along the lane for approximately 1 mile, park on the verge of the right side of the road just before the junction on the left for Portesham.
Dogs: Sheep may be grazing on site and cattle may be present on the access route, so please keep dogs on leads.

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Price

Price: Free

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Open any reasonable time during daylight hours.

Address: The Paddock, Winterbourne Abbas, Dorchester, Dorset DT2 9XD, UK

Post Code: DT2 9XD

Council: Dorset

County: Dorset

Road Access: 2.0 miles / 3 km west of Winterbourne Abbas, South of junction of A35 with a minor road to Compton Valence. Access via Wellbottom Lodge – 180 metres (200 yards) East along A35 from junction.
Bus Access: The nearest bus stop is Kingston Russell Turn, Long Bredy, 0.6 mile / 1 km from the site. To avoid walking along the busy A35, we advise following the public footpaths to either the north or south of the A35 (approx. 1.5 mile / 2.4km). OS Explorer Map OL15 essential. Catch First Bus X51 (Daily) from Weymouth and Dorchester to Kingston Russel Turn, Long Bredy.
Train Access: Dorchester South or West Stations, both 7 miles / 11 km from the site. From Dorchester South Station (Stop A) catch Bus X51 to Kingston Russell Turn, Long Bredy. From Dorchester West Station walk 350 metres to Brewery Square (Stop C) to catch Bus X51.
Bicycle Access: Find this site on The National Cycle Network.
Parking: Turn left off the A35 along Longland's Lane approximately 1/2 a mile west of Winterbourne Abbas. Continue along the lane for approximately 1 mile, park on the verge of the right side of the road just before the junction on the left for Portesham.