Monument record MDO37403 - Possible Prehistoric Boundary Ditch, Pimperne

A curvilinear ditch is visible on aerial photographs to the west of Pimperne village. It was picked up as a geophysical anomaly and subsequently excavated in evaluation trench 24 of the Corfe Mullen to Salisbury Water Transfer Scheme route. No dating evidence was recovered from the excavation, but it appears to be part of a complex of prehistoric enclosures and boundaries in this area. (The record for this monument has been created with support from Wessex Water). The linear feature is visible as a low earthwork on lidar imagery and was digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM Project.

A curvilinear cropmark is visible on a 2005 aerial photograph. [1] Geophysical survey of the route picked up this feature as two linear positive anomalies (205, 206), which are indicative of infilled ditch features. The anomalies were oriented roughly E-W with a right-angled turn to the south at the west end. [2] A section through this ditch (25002)was excavated in evaluation Trench 25 of the archaeological evaluation of the Corfe Mullen to Salisbury Water Transfer Scheme route. It measured about 0.9m wide and 0.26m deep with a rounded V-shaped profile. No dating evidence was recovered from its fill. [3] The record for this monument has been created with support from Wessex Water. The linear feature is visible as a low earthwork on lidar imagery [4] and was digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM Project.

Record last edited

Nov 30 2022 6:01PM