Monument record MDO1657 - Parish and manorial boundary, Melbury Bubb and Melbury Sampford

A section was dug through this bank and ditch during improvements to the A37 in 1993. No dating evidence was recovered from sealed deposits, though fragments of 19th- and 20th-century pottery were found in the upper fill of the ditch. It had been hoped that a buried soil horizon would be revealed beneath the bank, but a clearly-defined soil could not be identified.

<1> Cox, P W, 1993, Archaeological Observations During the Construction of the A37 Road Improvements North of Evershot, Dorset (Unpublished document). SDO12362.

‘Prior to the commencement of earthmoving activities across Rhodes Plantation, a 2 metre-wide section was excavated by hand across a low bank and ditch. This feature forms the historic boundary between the parishes of Melbury Sampford to the west and Melbury Bubb to the east. The boundary may also be part of a former manorial boundary related to Melbury House.
The recorded section through the bank and ditch was situated to the west of the former road line. The details of the deposits revealed is shown on Fig. 1. No dating evidence was recovered from sealed deposits, although fragments of modern (19th and 20th century) pottery were recovered from the upper fill of the ditch. It was not possible to identify a clearly-defined buried soil below the clay bank and hence no environmental sampling was carried out.’

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1994, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1993, 161 (Serial). SDO93.

'Archaeological monitoring was carried out a four locations north of Evershot. … Area C (centred on ST 5901805306), involved the excavation by hand of a 2m wide section across a low bank and ditch which forms the historic boundary between the parishes of Melbury Sampford to the west and Melbury Bubb to the east. No dating evidence was recovered from sealed deposits, although fragments of 19th century pottery were recovered from the upper fill of the ditch.’

Record last edited

Jan 27 2025 1:48PM