HARROW-DIGGING AT MARTINSTOWN. 7 



BARROW I. 



Its Situation. This barrow, like Nos. 2 and 3, is in the 

 parish of Martinstown, otherwise Winterborne St. Martin, and is 

 situated at a distance of 3^ miles south-west of Dorchester and 

 5^ miles from the centre of Weymouth. Martinstown Church is 

 6 furlongs to the north of the barrow ; the nearest point of the 

 Ridgeway overlooking Weymouth is 5 furlongs due south. The 

 barrow is 7!- furlongs south-west of the famous Clandown 

 Barrow, nearly 12 furlongs west-by-south from the centre of 

 Maiden Castle, and about i furlong to the north-west of 

 Mr. Hawkins' Barn.* The central barrow on Four Barrow Hill 

 is \ mile to the north-east. 



Barrow I. is about 487 feet above sea-level and 230 feet 

 higher than the village of Martinstown. (The Ridgeway near is 

 550 feet above sea-level, and the highest point of Maiden Castle 

 about 432 feet.) 



Description before Excavation. The barrow stands in a large 

 grass field, the summit being at an average height of 12 feet 

 above the surrounding turf-level. It is surrounded by a ditch 

 which has totally silted up except on the south-west, south, 

 and south-east, as shown by the contours on the plan. The 

 approximate diameter of the mound, that is from ditch to ditch, 

 is 103 feet; the diameter at the point where the "old surface 

 line" under the tumulus crops out is about 91 feet. (A 

 depression was observable on the summit of the mound, not 

 shown on the plan : Mr. Hawkins informed us that his sons, a 

 few years ago, had commenced to make an excavation into the 

 barrow, but evidently soon got tired of it.) 



During the operations, which extended over six working days, 

 May 2znd to 2Qth, 1903, not including the time occupied in 

 filling in and turfing over, the writers, in order that they might 

 devote themselves entirely to the work, lived and slept in a tent 

 pitched within a stone's throw of the barrow. The working 

 plan was commenced on the first day; a square, 161 feet on each 



* Eweleaze Barn. 



