Monument record MDO3840 - Tennerley Ditch, Fontmell Magna

A cross-dyke, known as Tennerley Ditch, extends north west-south east across a ridge, to the NNW of Fontmell Hill House. The earthworks are located to the east and the west of the Shaftesbury to Blandford Road. The monument survives as a bank and ditch, but is partly destroyed by a track. The cross dyke may not have extended fully across the ridge but may have had an original gap where the Shaftesbury to Blandford Road passes through. The record for this monument has been enhanced with support from Wessex Water.

ST 88431756 - ST 89091725 A cross dyke, known as Tennerley Ditch, extends some 800 yards across the brow of an escarpment. The centre portion has been destroyed by a track, but the western and eastern parts survive, each about 260 yards long. A copse bank on the north edge of the ditch in the eastern part of the dyke has the deceptive appearance of a counterscarp bank. <2> A cross dyke, of probable Bronze Age/Iron Age date, some 700.0m long running intermittently through woodland from ST 88481755 to ST 89091723 across the brow of an escarpment. The centre portion of some 180.0m has been destroyed by a modern trackway and a road cuts through the line of the dyke at ST 88771746. The extant eastern portion runs for some 320.0m from ST 88821740 to ST 89091723 and consists of a low bank 4.0m wide and up to 1.4m high with a ditch 0.5m deep on the north side. The western portion, cut by a track at ST 88551750 is the best preserved part of the earthwork; it measures some 180.0m long from ST 88481755 to ST 88661749 and consists of a bank up to 6.0m wide and 1.8m high with a ditch 0.6m deep on the north side. The name 'Tennerley Ditch' was not verified during current field investigation. Surveyed at 1:2500, partly on Ams ST 88/8917, and part divorced survey on ST 8817. <3>

Record last edited

Sep 21 2022 7:49PM