Monument record MWX3711 - Christchurch: Enclosure at St Catherine's Chapel, St Catherine's Hill

A square earthwork consisting of double banks with a central ditch in its centre there are traces of foundations believed to be the remains of St Catherine's chapel. The features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

U enclosure (supposedly Roman, but possibly earlier) and site of St Catherine's chapel (1) An earthwork in which can be traced the foundations of an ancient chapel (2) A square earthwork consisting of double banks with a central ditch- the eastern face is extended northwards to a broad bank running east and west across the plateau. In the centre of the earthwork, traces of foundations building stone and Purbeck stone can be picked up (3) Sections cut through the banks of the earthworks by Wallace in the 1920s point to the earthwork being contemporary with or later than the building within it (4) A square earthwork enclosure as shown on C3 25 inch and consisting for the most part of a double bank with ditches. With the exception of the south side , it is in a comparatively fair condition, though overgrown. A clear space in the centre of the earthwork indicates the area excavated and the alleged site of the chapel. From its low profile , the enclosure would not appear to be defensive and the regular plan suggests a late date. From the discovery of building debris and of stained glass and Purbeck marble , it seems probable that this is a medieval building site in a contemporary enclosure, and it is reasonable to assume that the building may have been the Chapel of St Katherine. From the north-east corner of the enclosure, a low lynchet like bank and ditch extends north to join a broad, causeway type bank, 10.5 m wide and 1m high with flanking ditches. Its western end terminates in a low near circular, platform 16.5m in diameter with a surrounding ditch. It appears probable that it is all that remains of a bowl barrow . And in this connection it should be noted that the bank, if extended would also join another bowl barrow , now destroyed. This latter connection could not be established as the bank's eastern end has been destroyed by gravel digging. The purpose and origin of the bank is obscure but is likely to be a land boundary of comparatively recent date. (5) The earthwork surrounding the chapel is claimed by M Ridley in light of his excavations to be Roman with modification in the medieval period, he also suggests a possible Roman building though the evidence is sparse. (6) Ridley was not available for comment on this excavation but from the evidence presented and the appearance of the earthwork I would say no firm conclusion can yet be accepted on its period or purpose. It is certainly a very unusual work in that the outer bank and ditches that form the enclosure is higher than the inner, hardly a defensive characteristic even though the banks in places are quite strong. Further the enclosure banks seem to have some relationship with the broad flat-topped bank to the NE which in its turn could have some connection with at least one bowl barrow. (SZ19NW25). Too fine a point cannot be made of this inter-relationship but it should be noted that on these gravels , extremely early works survive in remarkable detail and freshness, and that a very early origin cannot be dismissed on this account. (7) The complex shows well on Crawford collection AP 719/47/91 (see illustrations card for SZ 19 NW 32). Published 1:2500 revised. Nothing of the chapel survives above ground but its site can be identified by the stripped excavation area and scatter of building material. The banked and ditched enclosure is visible on 1940s aerial photographs and on current Lidar imagery (8 and 9). The site is under low heathland vegetation and partial tree cover on a 2014 aerial photograph (10) but the earthworks are still partially visible. The features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project and also recorded under MWX898 for the medieval chapel. Record MDO8753 also refers to the medieval chapel.

Record last edited

Dec 24 2021 11:30AM