MMO79 - Possible Bronze Age barrow at Trilly (Monument)

The remains of a turf covered stony oval mound, probably the remains of a Bronze Age burial mound. The mound was substantially levelled by the plough by 1972 and by 1995 the mound has been almost completely destroyed.

Trilly, at SS 7495 4944, found by Grinsell in April 1961; a stony grass covered mound measuring 10 paces from west to east and 6 paces from north to south. Suggested as a possible bowl barrow or an undated stone heap. [1] The mound referred to by Grinsell is evidently the patch of stones at SS 7490 4940 in a field of permanent pasture. The stones are spread over an area 15.0 metres east to west and 8.0 metres north to south slightly below the crest of the hill and are more likely to be field clearance than the remains of a round barrow. [2] 9 metres by 5.5 metres, in a field of permanent pasture. [3] Prehistoric Bronze Age burial mound on Trilly to the south of Countisbury. [4] SS 7491 4941. The remains of a probable burial cairn situated at 287 metres Ordnance Datum in a deep ploughed arable field on the summit of a southwest projecting hill spur known as Trilly. The remains comprise a turf covered stony oval mound 11 metres northwest to southeast by 6 metres and 0.2 metres in maximum height. It is situated just off the crest of the summit with excellent all round visibility. As previously stated could be a clearance heap but its situation suggests that it is more likely to be the remains of a prehistoric burial mound which has probably been robbed and elongated to its present form by ploughing. [5,6] The remains of the turf covered stony oval mound described by the above authorities have been transcribed as part of the Exmoor National Park National Mapping Programme survey. The NMP survey can confirm the location of the mound, as stated above by [2], and the general dimensions of the original earthwork. By 1972 the mound was substantially levelled by the plough and by 1995 the mound has been almost completely destroyed. This authority is in agreement with [3] that the topographic situation is more suited to a barrow than a clearance cairn. However, the possible remains of a second clearance cairn 300 metres to the southwest, and the enclosure of the fields to the north after 1889, may provide circumstantial evidence for bearing the alternative interpretation in mind until conclusive dating evidence is found. [7-10] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [11]