Monument record MDO712 - Prehistoric settlement on Giant Hill, Cerne Abbas

A series of earthworks on Giant Hill, including a linear bank (possibly earlier, but incorporated into the settlement), an oval enclosure, traces of hut circles and a series of pits.

Settlement on Giant Hill, 600 yards NE of the Cerne Giant. It consists of a series of banks and enclosures. The greater strength of the main cross-bank may indicate that it was originally a cross-ridge dyke similar to ST 60 SE 38 and was subsequently incorporated into the settlement. The oval enclosure, south-west of this bank is about 45 yards by 35 yards and has two entrances. There are traces of two hut-circles outside the oval and the remains of a third outside the bank. There are several pits, one of them older than the ditch of the oval enclosure. To the NE are the remains of a Celtic field system. <2> The settlement is situated on a hill-top amid dense furze and bracken. The main bank and ditch, running from 'K' to 'L' (see plan) is a cross-ridge dyke. The bank and ditch are both 4.5m wide and 1.2m hgh and deep respectively. A weaker bank, similar in construction runs north from the dyke. The dyke appears to pre-date the hut circles on either side and is perhaps of Iron age origin. The hut-circles, 'B', 'C', 'J' and 'M' average about 12.0m in diameter each. 'B' has an entrance on the SSW and 'J' has a vague entrance on the SW, and is in very poor condition. 'M'' is a hut site scooped back into the hill and 'C' is covered with bramble and has no definable entrance. A large irregular depression at 'F' may be a badly damaged hut-circle and 'H' is too small for a hut circle but is possibly a storage pit. The large oval enclosure has two original entrances and consists of a bank 3.5m wide and 0.4m high with an outer ditch 2.3m wide and 0.3m deep. Other works consist of low field banks and lynchets up to 0.3m high. A poorly preserved bivallate trackway, 'D' to ''E', and some vague unsurveyable pits. All typical Iron Age/RB type. For circular bank at 'A' see ST 60 SE 27. <3> OS APs (a) of this area show that the NE portion of the earthworks appears to have been ploughed out, cropmarks only remaining. This was confirmed on the ground, though high crop growth may have masked some vestigial traces. Elsewhere the site remains as described by auth 3. Revised at 1:2500 on MSD. <4>

Record last edited

Dec 24 2021 10:40AM