Monument record MDO5024 - Dyke, Tarrant Keyneston

Dyke, comprising a substantial ditch and bank but now largely destroyed by ploughing, runs northeast from Buzbury Rings. It divides to follow each side of a re-entrant valley, one branch continuing north east and the other curving east and is apparently integrated with a 'Celtic' field system. Geophysical survey and evaluation excavation in 2012 suggest that this dyke may have comprised a bank without an accompanying ditch. The record for this monument has been enhanced with support from Wessex Water. The linear earthwork is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and Environment Agency lidar imagery and was digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM Project.

Cross-section of dyke (see illustration card). <2> A dyke, now largely destroyed by ploughing, but formerly of similar dimensions to the linear earthwork (ST 90 NW 28), runs NE from near the NE side of Buzbury Rings (ST 92030600) into a re-entrant valley. Most of the dyke lies in Tarrant Rawston. Air photographs indicate that after proceeding 200 yds the dyke divides to follow each side of the re-entrant valley, one branch continuing NE for 500 yds, the other curving E for some 300 yds as a scarp, apparently integrated with 'Celtic' fields. <3> A geophysical survey of the proposed route of the Corfe Mullen to Salisbury Water Transfer Scheme in 2012 crossed the line of this dyke which was visible as a negative linear anomaly indicative of a former banked feature. <4> The geophysical anomaly was crossed by an evaluation trench in 2012. No archaeological features were identified in this trench. <5> The evidence from sources <4> and <5> suggest this dyke was formed by a bank with no accompanying ditch.MARSH HAVARD The record for this monument has been enhanced with support from Wessex Water. The linear earthwork is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and Environment Agency lidar imagery <6-8>. It comprises an inner ditch and outer banks and extends for just under 600m on a southwest -northeast alignment from the northeast side of Buzbury Rings (MDO5018). The earthwork divides at around 210m northeast of Buzbury Rings, with one section continuing northeast, the other turning eastwards, visible as a ditch and southern outer bank <6> <8>. Along the northern sections, only one outer bank is visible and there has generally been much levelling of the south western section of this feature. It was digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM Project.

Record last edited

Jan 23 2023 5:12PM