MDE1197 - Bronze Age barrow on Whitefield Down (Monument)

SS 7207 3716 Tumulus (NR). [1] A low barrow is seen surrounded by a shallow trench on Whitefield Down. The trench lies within the margin of the barrow. The outer edge of the trench is marked by a stone circle, of which twelve stones remain. The site was visited by Grinsell in 1969. This is marked as 'tumulus' on the Ordnance Survey map [it is not certain which map is referred to, but this was marked on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map]. [2, 3] "High Bray No 4", bowl barrow on Whitefield Down, partly defaced by a track to the south. The diameter is 18 paces, with a height of 2 1/2 ft. [4] A bowl barrow was recorded during field investigation in 1973. This was up to 18 metres across and 0.7 metres high, in a poor condition. The published plan, surveyed at 1:2500 was revised. [5] This site is mentioned in Chanter and Worth. [6] The bowl barrow described above is clearly visible on aerial photographs as a low earthwork on the northeastern edge of Whitefield Down. It measures approximately 20 metres in diameter, and appears to have suffered damage from ploughing as well as being truncated by a nearby trackway. Compared to other monuments in the area, this barrow is rather isolated, lying at least 650 metres southwest of its nearest neighbour. [7, 8] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [9]