Monument record MDO1546 - Enclosure, Dantza Coppices, Long Bredy

(Centred at SY 56558874). A small quadrilateral and almost lozenge shaped earthwork is situated on a N. facing slight slope of a grass covered field. An enclosure is formed by a bank which is generally 2.5m. wide and 0.1m. high, with an outer ditch 2.5m. wide and 0.3m. deep. On the S.W. side the bank is 0.4m. high externally, and the ditch 0.1m. deep. There is no obvious entrance, but the earthwork is poorly defined. Two vague depressions, each 5.0m in diameter and 0.1m. deep, are visible at the S.E. end of the enclosure. The area above the enclosure and in the field to the E. has poorly defined hollows and mounds, but these form no definite pattern, and are delimited on the N. by a natural E-W scarp, 3.0 to 4.0m. High. This scarp has been dug into at the top and bottom. The subsoil appears to be of gravel, and it may be that the diggings are simply old local gravel pits. The mounds and depressions over the rest of the area do not conform to gravel workings, but may be natural formations. There are many molecasts in the vicinity but no signs of occupational debris. See AP CPE/UK/1824/4287. <1>

The earthworks may be man-made but no suggestion as to their purpose can be deduced. <2>

A rectilinear enclosure is visible as an extant earthwork on aerial photographs <3> to the south-east of Dantza Coppices. It is 22m across and defined by a bank with outer ditch; an entrance is visible at it's eastern corner. The enclosure is of uncertain date and may be prehistoric or medieval in origin. The site was digitally plotted during the South Dorset Ridgeway Mapping Project.

<1> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 12-APR-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<2> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F2 JR 15-APR-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<3> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1824 4285-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11645.

<4> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/088 RCHME Inventory: Dorset I (West) and Revision (Unpublished document). SDO17367.

<5> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS55/F128/2 (Index). SDO14738.

UNIDENTIFIED ENCLOSURE AND UNIDENTIFIED EARTHWORKS AT LONG BREDY FROM THE SOUTH.

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS55/F128/3 (Index). SDO14738.

UNIDENTIFIED ENCLOSURE AT LONG BREDY FROM THE SOUTH.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 450284 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 11 2023 4:46PM