Monument record MDO1173 - Romano-British settlement at West Hill Bottom, Framapton

Centred at SY 60559280. A grass covered RB settlement. It differs from the Dorset IA/RB settlement of the Woodcutts and Rotherley type by having no encircling or associated enclosures. Situated on unploughed downland and below the crest of a hill falling to the east it is almost certain, as judged by the
topographical situation and lack of recent disturbance in the area, that no enclosure has even existed.

The site consists of strong and surveyable hollows scooped out on terraces which stand one above the other on the hillside and the normal low accompanying mounds. Partly covered by nettles and thistles.

RB pottery, including part of a mortarium and two portions of tegulae were found in rabbit scrapes. <1>

A settlement above West Hill Bottom (SY 605928) is Romano-British at least in its final phase and contemporaneous with the surrounding Celtic field system. <2>

Centred at SY 60569280 on a gentle east-facing slope are at least eight hollows scooped out of the hillside. Each hollow is roughly rectangular and bounded by ill-defined scarps; they are all about 20.0 - 24.0 metres in diameter and the uphill scarp of each one is the strongest, up to 1.0 metres high. They have obviously been considerably reduced by ploughing since 1955.

The hollows lie just west of the edge of the steep western scarp of West Hill Bottom. They are similar to the features near Hogleaze Farm (SY 69 SW 32). Surveyed at 1:2500 on M.S.D. <3>

This settlement was not located by the OS Field Examiner during revision. <4>

Earthwork remains of a Romano-British settlement visible as earthworks and cropmarks on aerial photographs. The earthworks are situated on unploughed downland and below the crest of a hill falling to the east. They comprise of at least eight hollows scooped out of the hillside. Each hollow is roughly rectangular and bounded by ill-defined scarps. They appear to be contemporaneous with the surroundingIron Age/Romano-British field system and are similar in form to the settlement earthworks near Hogleaze Farm (MDO1174). <5-8>

<1> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 24-JAN-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 623 (Monograph). SDO150.

<2.1> Royal Air Force, RAF/CPE/UK/2431 3143-44 (Aerial Photograph). SDO20227.

<3> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F2 JGB 10-APR-81 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<4> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Large Scale/Small Scale Map Reviser's comments, Small Scale Reviser Nov 1998 (Verbal communication). SDO19451.

<5> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 4093-95 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11174.

<6> 1997, DCC 30/0095 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11173.

<7> 10-JAN-2007, NMR SY 6192/13 (24506/07) (Aerial Photograph). SDO11172.

<8> Royal Air Force, 22-JAN-1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2431 3141-43 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11161.

<9> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<10> National Record of the Historic Environment, 453627 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 27 2023 12:13PM