Monument record MDO45465 - Iron Age and Romano-British settlement by Castle Hill, Cranborne

Earthworks of trackways, supposedly indicative of Iron Age and Romano-British settlement; though possibly the remains of a trackway to gravel workings. The settlement site has been destroyed by the gravel quarry.

[SU 0600 1256] Earthworks [OE]. <1> Ro pottery found near entrance to castle. The low earthworks on the south side of the CASTLE [Dorset 16 NW 24] have been partly obliterated by recent digging for gravel, but they may belong to an earlier British occupation of the site. <2-3> [See Dorset 16 NW 26] Situated on a hill top and in downland the earthwork is a typical bi-vallate roadway common to IA/RB settlements in this part of Dorset. It is much mutilated and from 'A'-'B' is covered with thick growth which makes its form doubtful along this portion - here it is much destroyed by rabbits. In the area centred at 'C' [SU 05971259] some AB sherds were found particularly in the North West of the area. <4> It is noteworthy that the trackways lead to old gravel workings. These workings may have obliterated traces of any settlement, but the evidence of an R.B. settlement is by no means conclusive: e.g. possibly a Md. occupation area connected with the CASTLE HILL site. No R.B. pottery [T3] was seen. <5>

Record last edited

Feb 6 2023 9:37AM