SDO20721 - Notes on observation and recording

‘National Grid Reference SY 8571 9494 Planning Application 3/94/0360F Works – Construction of Agricultural Building The building was to be located between the north rampart and the outer bank of Woodbury Hill hillfort (Dorset M406; Dorset Sites and Monuments Record – Bere Regis no. 118A; and see attached location map). Scheduled Monument Consent was granted with a condition requiring archaeological observation of the groundworks by the Dorset County Council Archaeology Service. Purbeck District Council granted planning consent with a similar condition attached. The proposed building was to be 25m (NE-SW) by 18.5m. The groundworks consisted of the excavation of a small amount of topsoil along the north-west side of the building’s footprint for levelling purposes, and the excavation of 17 stanchion holes, as sketched below. The groundworks took place on 14 February 1995, and were observed by the author. The stanchion holes were each about 0.7m by 0.7m. To compensate for a slight ground slope, their depths varied from 1.3m on the north-west side of the footprint to 1m on the south-east side. Topsoil was 0.15 – 0.20m deep. This overlay a variable subsoil, which was chiefly orangy-brown sand, although in places it was a brown silty sand. Several relatively thick lenses of flints and of blue-white clay were also present. The only archaeological remains were recovered from the westernmost stanchion hole (marked on sketch below). Three sherds of post-Medieval Verwood-type pottery, and oystershell and an iron nail were recovered from the spoil from the excavation of this hole. Most of the topsoil had already been removed from this area, so the finds are unlikely to have come from it. The ‘subsoil’ from this hole was particularly dark and silty, so it is possible that it was dug entirely within an archaeological feature of post-Medieval date.’