Monument record MDO4907 - Enclosure near Bussey Stool Woods, Tarrant Gunville
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Summary
A sub-rectangular enclosure formed by a bank and ditch with a south-facing entrance, and thought to be Iron Age in date. The enclosure survived as an earthwork until 1911, when it was levelled, and today it can be seen only as soil-mark or crop-marks. Burnt flints have been found on the site.
Map
Type and Period (1)
Full Description
An enclosure destroyed by ploughing in January 1912. There were no surface finds or any other traces of occupation. Its small bank and ditch and wide entrance suggest a pastoral enclosure.
The enclosure lies at the head of a shallow coomb with the land failing to the south and rising in all other directions from its centre. It is much spread and ploughed down. To the north the average height of the bank is 0.1m, and elsewhere 0.3m. The outer ditch has an average width of 0.3m and an average depth of 0.3m. There were no surface finds. Visible on air photographs and also as a chalky white band on the ground.
No finds have ever been made here, except a 'few burnt flints'. <4>
The enclosure is probably Iron Age. It is subrectangular in plan with an internal area of 1 1/4 acres. The entrance, on the S, faces down the combe. Today, the enclosure appears only as a soil mark or crop mark, but before levelling it had a bank and ditch up to 45ft wide, with the bank standing some 4ft high above the interior. <5>
Additional references, air photographic transcription plan and consideration of comparable examples. <6-7>
Sources/Archives (12)
- <1> SWX1540 Map: Ordnance Survey. Ordnance Survey Map 6in. 6 inch to 1 mile. 1902.
- <2> SDO16661 Monograph: Sumner, H. The Ancient Earthworks of Cranborne Chase. 31.
- <3> SWX1255 Unpublished document: Rigg, J. Field Investigators Comments JR. F1 JR 12-APR-54.
- <3.1> SDO18411 Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. F22/58/1332 078-9.
- <3.2> SDO18409 Aerial Photograph: Boyden, J R. 12-JUL-1972. M60 4356.
- <3.3> SDO18412 Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. OS/75/371 097.
- <4> SDO60 Serial: Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society. 1961. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1960. 82. 84-85.
- <5> SDO99 Monograph: Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England). 1972. An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North). 96.
- <6> SWX800 Monograph: Bowen, H C. 1990. The Archaeology of Bokerley Dyke. 127 pp. 91.
- <7> SDO14864 Monograph: Bowen, H C. 1991. The Archaeology of Bokerley Dyke: Inventory. 25.
- <7.1> SDO18413 Aerial Photograph: Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography. CUCAP OAP ANC 6.
- <8> SDO14739 Digital archive: National Record of the Historic Environment. 209971.
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (0)
Location
| Grid reference | Centred ST 9305 1521 (100m by 129m) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | ST91NW |
| Civil Parish | Tarrant Gunville; Dorset |
| Unitary Authority | Dorset |
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Other Statuses/References
- Legacy UID: Dorset Sites and Monuments Record: 2 057 033
- Legacy UID: National Monuments Record: ST 91 NW 40
- Legacy UID: National Record of the Historic Environment: 209971
- Royal Commission Inventory Reference: Tarrant Gunville 33
Record last edited
Aug 31 2022 12:29PM