Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Three bowl barrows, in Lousyberry Wood, about half a mile east of Ewell, near Dover. Thought to be the same tumuli referred to by Hasted; he records that these mounds were opened and found to contain a skeleton, a sword and a spearhead. Thought to be Anglo-Saxon burial mounds. Later visits to the site recorded traces that these barrows had been previously excavated.

The site lies on a south-west facing valley slope, overlooking the River Dour. OD 90-115m.

Monument Types

• BOWL BARROW (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)
• INHUMATION (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)

Associated Finds

• HUMAN REMAINS (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)
• SPEAR (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)
• SWORD (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)
• VESSEL (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 575 AD to 700 AD)

Full description

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[TR 29144435, TR 29164436] Tumuli [NR] [TR 29064428] Tumulus [NR] (1) There are three tumuli in Lousyberry Wood, about half a mile east of Ewell, near Dover (2) which are probably the "several tumuli" referred to by Hasted (3) [see TR 24 SE 89] , "some of which were lately opened, and in each of them was found a skeleton, a sword about three feet long and two inches broad, and the head of a spear". (2,3) Three bowl barrows situated upon a south-westerly slope in woodland on the end of a spur of high ground overlooking the Dour valley. They all bear traces of having been opened, and have trees growing upon them, but otherwise they are in fair condition. There are no visible ditches. `A': TR 29064428. Measures 17.0m N-S by 15.0m transversely and is 1.7m in maximum height. There is a large shallow depression in the centre. `B': TR 29144435. Measures 10.0m NE-SW by 9.0m transversely and is 0.7m high. `C': TR 29164436. Measures 14.0m NE-SW by 11.0m transversely and is 1.0m high. There are traces of excavation in the SW quadrant. Published 1/1250 survey revised. (4)

In 2004 workmen erecting a fence near the southernmost barrow found part of a human skull. Dover Archaeological Group opened a trench in the area. A double grave was found and dated to the Anglo-Saxon period. Three other burials were also exposed in the small excavation. A complete vessel removed from the burial of a child was provisionally dated to the late sixth or seventh century AD. The density of burials in this small area suggests a potentially large cemetery focused on the barrows. (6)

Andrew Richardson, 2000, Gazetteer of Anglo-Saxon Cemeteries and Burial-Sites in Kent (Unpublished document). SKE29253.

<1> OS 25" 1958 (OS Card Reference). SKE48274.

<2> Arch Cant 13 1880 9 (WMF Petrie) (OS Card Reference). SKE34706.

<3> Hist of Kent 9 1800 438 (E Hasted) (OS Card Reference). SKE44004.

<4> F1 ASP 06.05.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE41953.

<5> Field report for monument TR 24 SE 14 - May, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5694.

<6> Dover Archaeological Group, 2005, Report on Evaluation Trenching at 'Highfield', Temple Ewell, near Dover, 2005 (Unpublished document). SKE16783.

Sources and further reading