AC Smith Maps: Map F. Squares 31 to 36

Oldbury Camp, Beckhampton

Square 31:
a. Oldbury Camp.
b. Long line of bank and ditch.
c. Green banks and ditches, forming a rectangular enclosure, with others dividing and intersecting.
d. More banks and ditches, showing evident marks of occupation.
e. Very large bowl-shaped high barrow, no ditch. Has been opened at top.
f. Large circular low barrow. An urn was accidentally discovered in 1858; Cunnington then opened the barrow, finding burnt bones in a cist 18" wide and 18" deep. The urn was inverted over the ashes.
g. Indistinct small squarish earthwork with a deep pit in the middle; may be modern.
h. Small deep pit near the last; perhaps modern.
i. Small mound, possibly a barrow.
k. Large irregular mound, without ditch, perhaps a barrow.
l. Circular cavity, probably an old dew pond.
m. Pits and cavities and ground much cut about, partly from flint digging but showing marks of ancient British occupation.

Square 32:
a. Small low but rather wide bowl-shaped barrow, not opened.
b. Grass banks and ditches, possibly a covered way.
c. Large bowl-shaped barrow with slight ditch; a large sarsen at the foot. Opened at top.
d. Small square enclosure with very low banks and ditch.
e. A still smaller enclosure.
f. Green circle of very large size, possibly once a plantation.
g. Large bowl-shaped barrow, high and wide with a ditch. Opened at the eastern end.
h. Irregular earthworks, apparently banks and ditches.
i. More banks and ditches, possibly the remains of military work.
k. Large bank and ditch, crossed by the old Bath Road.
l. A very wide low bowl-shaped barrow with ditch, opened at the side.
m. Very wide low barrow with ditch, opened at the side.
n. A very low, very wide barrow, almost ploughed out. Will soon disappear.
o. Large cavity, possibly an ancient dew pond.
p. Steep banks or terraces.
q. A very small pond-like pit.
r. Banks on either side of the old road. At present there is a large round pond, comparatively modern, in the centre of the road. (Note: this feature can be seen on Google Earth: it looks like a bomb crater.)
s. Bank.
t. A wider bank, as if an outer line of defence.
u. Low flat barrow.
v. An irregular mound with a ditch, much cut about.
w. Wide-spreading irregular mound, flat on the top with a ditch. Possibly a barrow.
x. Very small square earthwork, enclosed by bank and ditch.
y. A very low barrow, fast disappearing under the plough.

Square 33:
a. Very large long barrow, much mutilated. Has been opened at the top and eastern side; there is no trench around it.
b. Very large bowl-shaped barrow, opened at the top and west side; no trench.
c. "Longstone Cove" or "Long Stones", two massive sarsens also known as "the Devil's Coits".
d. Very low and wide-spreading barrow. Opened by Merewether in 1849, who found a shallow cist, containing black earth and a few burnt bones. In the top were Roman deposits of Samian ware.
e. Large oblong enclosure, surrounded by a very faint bank and ditch.

Square 34:
a. Circular pit, beautifully shaped - a "pond barrow".
b. Very large and very high bell-shaped barrow; large hole in the top where it has been opened.
c. Large and very high disc-shaped barrow with a little tumulus in the centre, not opened.
d. A smaller disc-shaped barrow, the ditch imperfect.
e. Very large and very high bell-shaped barrow with ditch; opened on the east, south and top.
f. Very small bowl-shaped barrow with no ditch, opened at the top by Thurnam. He found fragments of a large black urn containing burnt bones.
g. .h. Two small circular depressions in the grass, purpose unknown.
i. Very large and high bell-shaped barrow with ditch and base perfect, opened.
k. Large bowl-shaped barrow, opened at top.
l. Large bell-shaped barrow with a great wide ditch, opened at top.
m. A ditch connecting the two groups of barrows - viz, a-d and e-l but not distinct.
n. The Roman road here is very apparent; note its straight course to Silbury.
o. Large, very high bell-shaped barrow with ditch and a sarsen stone at the base; opened at top.
p. Large long low barrow; lies east and west, not opened. Disappearing under the plough.
q. Large high bell-shaped barrow with ditch over the middle of it; opened.
r. Large high bell-shaped barrow with a wide ditch; opened north and east.
s. Very low barrow, spread wide, ditch running over centre, opened at top.
t. Ditches connecting barrows.
u. Very shallow disc-shaped barrow, probably opened.
v. Possibly a barrow.
w. Wide, low barrow, much-ploughed; opened at top.
x. Very low wide barrow, gradually disappearing under the plough.
y. Large, wide and high barrow, much ploughed; no signs of opening.

Square 35:
a. Large nearly flat circular ring, perhaps the remains of a disc-shaped barrow.
b. Bell-shaped barrow with ditch and one upright sarsen stone at the top; apparently not opened.
c. Very small low barrow, almost ploughed out.
d. Very wide low barrow, almost ploughed out.
e. When Smith marked this spot the ground was much broken: "now ploughed flat."
f. Bowl-shaped moderate-sized barrow, now ploughed over; opened at top.
g. Bowl-shaped barrow, now ploughed over; opened at top.
h. Large but very flat bowl-shaped barrow, much ploughed. Opened at top.
i. Very wide, low, flat barrow, scarcely visible from ploughing.
j. Another very flat low barrow, scarcely visible.
k. Large low barrow with a considerable ditch, opened at the top.
l. Very long large barrow, now ploughed over but still large. Smith found red-deer horns in the top.
m. Very wide low barrow, ploughed over but very distinct.
n. Round barrow with the top mutilated and removed. Smith found pottery sherds "15 or 20 years ago", perhaps from a broken urn.
o. Very large, though not high, bowl-shaped barrow, much ploughed over.
p. Very low wide barrow, almost ploughed out.
q. Small barrow, almost ploughed out.
r. Large bowl-shaped barrow, no marks of opening.
s. Large, wide but low barrow.
t. Large bowl-shaped barrow with slight ditch, opened at top. No. 1 on Hoare's map ("Ancient Wilts, North", pp. 91, 92). Hoare found burnt bones in an oval cist.
u. Very low barrow with no ditch, opened at top. Hoare's No. 3.
v. High, well-formed bowl-shaped barrow with ditch, opened at top and sides. No. 4.
w. Very low barrow with wide ditch, opened at top. Hoare's No. 2.
x. Very low barrow, almost ploughed out. Hoare's No. 8.
y. Another very low barrow, Hoare's No. 9. Opened by Hoare, who found a cist containing a large black urn covering burnt bones.
z. Low and very wide barrow, fast disappearing under the plough. No. 10. Opened by Cunnington in 1804.
1. Low tumulus, perhaps not a barrow.
2. Low but wide barrow, under the plough.
3. Low but wide barrow, almost ploughed out.
4. A somewhat peculiar barrow, flat and depressed in the centre with bank, ditch and ridge all round; not opened.
5. Large bowl-shaped barrow with no ditch.

Square 36:
a. Very large tall bell-shaped barrow with ditch, opened at top.
b. Deep ditch, running over the top of barrow a.
c. The ground is much cut about here, and should be carefully examined with the spade.
d. The Roman road.

Click on the image for a larger version