Heytesbury Hundred, Wiltshire, South-West England, British Isles

Archaeologia Volume 15 Section XXXIII. Archaeologia Volume 15 Plate XVI: 1. Boyton Barrow 2 [Map], 2. Boyton Down Long Barrow [Map], 3. Boyton Barrow 1 [Map], Corton Long Barrow [Map] South View,

Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine 1913 V38 Pages 379-414. Sherrington. 4. [Boyton Down Long Barrow [Map]] On the Boyton — Sherrington parish boundary, S. of Boyton Church, E. of Boyton Field Barn, on a conspicuous ridge of down. Length 150ft.; E. and W. No recorded opening. It is shown on Hoare's Map of Wylye Station (S. of the village of Boyton) as opened, but there seems to be no mention of it in the text. It is not included in Thurnam's list of long barrows opened by Hoare and Cunnington, and there is only an incidental mention of it in Wm. Cunnington's account of "Barrows opened on the Manors of Corton, Boyton, and Sherrington " (Arch. xv. 338) although a sketch of the barrow is given on Pl. XVI. fig. 2. Only the fringe and a few feet at the western end of the mound remain, but it must once have been a very fine barrow, and very conspicuously situated. The mound appears to have been wide and high for its length, the width at the east end being now 64ft. It stands on cultivated ground with no trace of the ditches above ground. Labourers on the spot stated that the material of the mound had been taken away from time to time to mend the adjacent trackway. O.M. 58 NE.; Arch. xv. 340, PL VI. fig. 2; A.W. I. Map of Wylye Station.

Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine 1872 V13 Pages 339-342. Dr. Thurnam began by observing that the Barrow on and around which those present were now standing, though placed in the centre of the British encampment, popularly known as Bratton Castle [Map] is probably of much earlier date, and has none but an accidental connection with that earthwork. It is a Long Barrow of large size, measuring 230 feet in length, lies east and west; and was opened by Dr. Thurnam in 1866. It belongs to the class of Long Barrows, a form of tumulus which differs essentially from the much more numerous Round Barrows, by which, on the Wiltshire Downs, they are everywhere surrounded. These latter, the Round Barrows, much more commonly than otherwise — at least three times as often — contain interments of burnt bodies, often accompanied by bronze weapons or implements,and especially bronze knives or daggers, and by ornaments of glass, amber, jet or shale, and gold. Sometimes there are flint and other stone implements, but these are all of a kind known to have been in use at the same time as those of bronze. The Round Barrows belong, essentially, and as a rule, to the Bronze Age of this country, and to an age of burning the dead. When the interment is that of the unburnt body — which, in Wiltshire, is less than one in four — the body has been buried with the knees bent and drawn up towards the chest. That the burnt and unburnt interments are of one and the same period is proved by the similarity, or rather identity, of the accompanying implements and ornaments.

Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine 1913 V38 Pages 379-414. Bratton. 1. [Bratton Long Barrow [Map]] In Bratton Camp. Length 230ft. (Thurnam); E. and W. Opened by Wm. Cunnington, who found a secondary burial of three skeletons near the top of the larger end, but failed to find the primary one. Thurnam, who re-opened it in 1866, seems to have found the primary burial on the floor of the barrow, consisting of "a heap of imperfectly burnt, or rather charred, human bones, apparently those of one or two adults"¹ This barrow is now a rather unshapely heap and much cut about; the mound is not ploughed but it stands on cultivated ground and all trace of the ditches is obliterated. O.M. 45, NW.; A.W. I. 55; Arch. XLII. 180, 192; W.A.M. XIII. 341.

Note 1. In Gough's Camden I. 146 it is said that "many human bones mixed vith stag's horns, fragments of urns, and pieces of iron weapons, and mill-stones," have been found "under the mound."

Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine 1913 V38 Pages 379-414. Knook. 5.. [Knook Castle Long Barrow [Map]] On Knook Down, NE. of "Knook Barrow," E. of Bowl's Barrow, and N. of " Old Ditch." Length 78ft; E. and W. Opened in 1801. Under the usual stratum of black earth three skeletons were found near the E. end, and a little to the W. of these another skeleton. This barrow stands on uncultivated down and is in fair condition. It is a small mound, flat, low, and broad; the ditches are fairly well defined. O.M. 52 NE.; A. W. I. 86; Arch. xlii. 180. Referred to by Thurnam as "Knook b."

Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine 1913 V38 Pages 379-414. Knook. 2. "Knook Barrow [Map]," on Knook Down, E. of the "British Village." Length 90ft. (Hoare); a recent measurement 100ft.; nearly N. and S. Opened by Wm. Cunnington 1801 — 2, when he found under a heap of flint and marl stones, and on a pavement of flints, a number of charred human and other animal bones, and charred wood; the bones seemed to be those of seven or eight individuals. A secondary burial of four headless skeletons was also found near the centre of the mound, at a depth of about 18in. The barrow was reopened by Thurnam without further result. This barrow stands on uncultivated down land and is in fair condition, but with some rabbits in it; the ditches are distinct. O.M. 52 NE.; A. W. I. 83; Arch. xlii. 180, 192; xv. 345. This is the barrow referred to by Thurnam as " Knook a."