Monument record MDO1402 - Enclosure, Littlebredy

(Centred at SY 5948852) "Four ring barrows, A W Clapham 16.1.39". <1>

Four ringworks east of the road to Little Bredy Farm. A). 150 yds west of Heart Coppice. It consists of a circular area or platform 35ft diamter surrounded by a shallow ditch 31/2 ft wide. B). 210 yds south of 'A' and of similar form. C). 80 yds south west of 'B'. Similar to 'A' but slightly larger. D). 100 yds south east of 'C'. It consists of an area about 20ft in diameter surrounded by a bank 8 to 9 ft wide and 3/4 ft high with an outer ditch. A lynchet on the south side seems to have destroyed the outer lip of the ditch (see plan). Listed as especially worthy of preservation. <2>

A) SY 59398873; B) SY 59458853; C) SY 59388845; D) SY 59378834. These four ringworks average 10.0m in diameter, with an outer ditch 1.0m wide and 0.2m deep. The central platorm is flat and 0.1m above the surrounding ground level. Ringwork 'D' is as described and shown in the plan by Authy 2. The ringwork is set at the top of a lynchet and the destruction of the south part of the ditch may be a natural erosion. These earthworks are not set on the crest of the hill but on the edge of the spur before it drops steeply to the valley. They do not seem to be classifiable from visual inspection. <3>

Four earthern circles, Little Bredy 15, are almost certainly of recent origin, possibly the remains of landscaping associated with Bride Head (SY 58 NE 22 - 19th century) to the north. <4>

Field systems (SY 58 NE 15) to the north of the Valley of Stones and four undated circular earthworks along the west crest of the hill, Scheduled. <5>

One of four circular ditched enclosures indentified in the grounds of Bridehead. They are of uncertain date and function but are likely to be associated with 19th century landscaping. This enclosure is 10m across and lies at SY5936488329. It is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs <6-7> and was digitally plotted during the South Dorset Ridgeway Mapping Project.

<1> Crawford, O G S, Annotated record map 6 inch (Map). SWX7265.

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 39 (Monograph). SDO97.

'(15) RINGWORKS, E. of the road to the N. of Little Bredy Farm, are four in number. (a) is 800 yards S.E. of the church and 150 yards W. of Heart Coppice; it consists of a circular area or platform 35 ft. in diam. surrounded by a shallow ditch 3½ ft. wide; (b), 210 yards S. of (a), is of similar form; (c), 80 yards S.S.W. of (b), is similar but slightly larger; (d), 100 yards S.S.E. of (c), consists of an area about 20 ft. in diam. surrounded by a bank 8 to 9 ft. wide and ¾ ft. high with an outer ditch (for plan see preface, p. xxxii). A lynchet on the S. side seems to have destroyed the outer lip of the ditch.'

<3> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 31-MAR-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 624 (Monograph). SDO150.

<5> Department of the Environment, Inspector of Ancient Monuments (IAM) Record Form, 3.7.78 (Scheduling record). SDO17470.

<6> 2002, DCC SY5988 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11659.

<7> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 3098-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11657.

<8> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA72/01769 (Index). SDO14738.

PLAN OF RINGWORK - ONE OF FOUR IN THIS AREA. PROBABLY THE RESULT OF C19 LANDSCAPING

<9> National Record of the Historic Environment, 450318 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 27 2025 1:58PM