EDO5903 - Cerne Abbey, Cerne Abbas; geophysical survey 2014

The geophysical survey was carried out for an independent client to research the layout of the dissoluted Benedictine Abbey and structures associated with its water management. Four areas were surveyed: Beavoir Field; Ground NE of Beavoir Field; Ponds Area; Abbey House South Garden. The equipment consisted of a Resistivity meter, a Fluxgate gradiometer and Geoscan Geoplot software. The survey areas were divided into 10m and 20m squares oriented to existing boundaries. The survey detected that Beavoir Field was likely to contain stone/building rubble, with one or two linear sections aligned east-west equidistant from the Abbey Gatehouse with more aligned in various ways possibly suggesting multi-phase activity on the site. A curvilinear gully anomaly in this area matched a water channel drawn on the 1736 estate map, perhaps associated with the earlier Abbey. In the sample area NE of Beavoir Field the survey detected with a moderate to fairly high confidence linear and non linear anomalies suggestive of occupation. These could not be linked to each other or the Abbey site conclusively. The survey of the other two areas had inconclusive results although some anomalies were identified. It is possible that taken together there was evidence of two phases of occupation, the Abbey and post-dissolution Manor House overlaying it.