Monument record MDO1263 - Enclosure on Tenants Hill, Kingston Russell

An earthwork enclosure located amid a field system on Tenant's Hill. The enclosure, and the associated earthworks and field system, are thought to be Bronze Age in date.

A 'D' shaped enclosure lies on Tenant's Hill. It's ramparts comprise a bank with outer ditch and enclose an area approximately 35m across. The enclosure, which has an entrance midway along it's south-eastern side, is considered by the NMR to be of Bronze Age date and is associated with a field system. The site was digitally plotted during the South Dorset Ridgeway Mapping Project. {2-3}

A small circular earthwork surrounded by a low vallum and exterior fosse with an entrance on the SE side, and an 'ancient' pit dwelling surrounded by a bank, lie north of Kingston Russell stone circle. <1>

"The bank to E guards entrance and is not a long barrow. Shape squarish - big flints in ramparts on NW. Pit-dwelling, pit with bank round it (large flints in banks) entrance on S". <3>

Settlement on Tenants Hill consists of a roughly oval enclosure of about 1/3 of an acre, surrounded by a bank and ditch; the bank is about 3 1/2 ft. high. There is an entrance on the E.S.E. with a slight causeway across the ditch; beyond this are faint traces of a traverse-like semi-circular bank. There are no traces of works in the main enclosure except for a slight sinking on the S.W. Immediately E. of the semi-circular bank is a second bank running N.E. and S.W. and at its S. end is a probable hut-circle. The settlement would appear to be akin to those associated elsewhere with Celtic field-systems, some cultivation scarps possibly of Celtic origin existing immediately W. of the enclosure. <4>

The enclosure, and hut circle to the S, situated on a grass covered ridge amid a field system of Iron Age/Romano British type. The enclosure is formed by a bank which averages 5.0m wide and 0.7m high, with an outer ditch 3.5m wide and 0.7m high, with an outer ditch 3.5m wide and average 0.5m deep. The entrance is on the SE, and it is covered by a small encircling bank 3.0m wide and 0.3m high. From the enclosure to the hut circle is a bank 5.0m wide and 0.5m high, probably a field bank contemporary with the earthwork. The hut circle has an internal diameter of 10.0m, and a depth of 1.2m. It has a surrounding bank 2.5m wide and 0.5m high, with an entrance gap on the S side. The enclosure, hut circle and field system appear to be contemporary, and are probably of Iron Age/Romano British date.

The OS 1:2500 does not depict the enclosure accurately. It does not portray all of the outer ditch, and the small encircling bank at the entrance. The survey by RCHM (Authy 4) is correct, but the plan scale given is quite incorrect and apparently an error. See also air photograph CPE/UK/1824 3304. <5>

SY 57728819. The enclosure is defined by a bank composed of earth, chalk and flint and a ditch, which survives as an earthwork on the southern, south eastern, western and north western sides. Associated with the enclosure are the earthwork remains of two banks, the easternmost of which abuts a later dewpond. This is a circular feature with an outer bank enclosing a sunken area 10 metres in diameter and cica 1 metre deep. There is an entrance on the southern side. South west of the enclosure are the remains of a field system, visible as 3 lynchets or terraces. This system is likely to have first been used in conjunction with the enclosure and subsequently developed over an extended period. <8>

<1> Warne, C, 1872, Ancient Dorset, 116 (Monograph). SDO10094.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1903 (Map). SWX1540.

(Centred SY 57778820) Earthwork (NR) Pit Dwelling (NR)

<3> Crawford, O G S, Annotated record map 6 inch (Map). SWX7265.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 127 (Monograph). SDO97.

‘(3) SETTLEMENT ON TENANTS HILL (600 ft. above O.D.) in the S. angle of the parish, consists of a roughly oval enclosure of about ⅓ of an acre, surrounded by a bank and ditch; the bank is about 3½ ft. high. There is an entrance on the E.S.E. with a slight causeway across the ditch; beyond this are faint traces of a traverse-like semi-circular bank. There are no traces of works in the main enclosure except for a slight sinking on the S.W. Immediately E. of the semi-circular bank is a second bank running N.E. and S.W. and at its S. end is a probable hut-circle. The settlement would appear to be akin to those associated elsewhere with Celtic field-systems, some cultivation scarps possibly of Celtic origin existing immediately W. of the enclosure.’

<5> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 12-APR-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<6> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1967 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 57768820) Enclosure (NR) (SY 57788813) Hut Circle (NR)

<7> Papworth, M, 1983, The South Dorset Ridgeway Project: condition and management survey, SDR 723 (Index). SDO12304.

Site well preserved as above. It is situated in unploughed permanent pasture at top of a steep N facing slope. 1/2/B

<8> English Heritage, English Heritage Scheduling Amendment, 11-APR-1996 (Scheduling record). SDO17245.

<9> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 3100-1 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11636.

<10> 01-SEP-2004, NMR SY 5788/7-9 (23707/11-13) (Aerial Photograph). SDO11641.

<11> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/088 RCHME Inventory: Dorset I (West) and Revision (Unpublished document). SDO17367.

<12> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 1096963 (Index). SDO14738.

Kingston Russell Earthworks on Tenants Hill/pencil profile

<13> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 882056 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME: Kingston Russell Earthworks on Tenants Hill. Includes profile of earthwork

<14> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS55/F73/5 (Index). SDO14738.

LONG BARROW AT KINGSTON RUSSELL (PLAN OF).

<15> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS55/F73/6 (Index). SDO14738.

ENCLOSED SETTLEMENT AT KINGSTON RUSSELL (PLAN).

<16> National Record of the Historic Environment, 450253 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 11 2023 3:57PM