Monument record MDO1688 - Nettlecombe Tout, Melcombe Horsey

An Iron Age hill-fort on the flat top of a spur with steep slopes on all but the south-east side. The remains of the fort consist of a curving bank and ditch across the spur and facing south east, with an entrance near the southern end. It is now thought likely that the fort was not completed. The rampart curving around the south east side of the hillfort, and cutting it off from the summit of the hill to the south, is visible as extant earthworks on lidar imagery and was digitally recorded during the Mid Dorset Downs AIM project. A hollow is situated at each end of the dyke, these may be contemporay with the hillfort or much later features associated with post medieval extraction. Faint traces of earthworks on the northern and eastern side are also identifiable, these may form part of the hillfort or be associated with later extraction. The low bank on its northern side is marked on the OS 1st edition map.

Nettlecombe Tout Iron Age fort, ST 737032, partly destroyed or unfinished. It consists of a curving line of bank and ditch facing southeast, with an entrance near the south end. The bank is 45 feet across, 9 1/2 feet high above the interior and 11 1/2 feet above the ditch which is 35 feet across. A short, detached length of bank and ditch, now almost destroyed by ploughing, shielded the entrance. A scarp, 5 feet high and more, partly ancient but added to by ploughing, bounds the hillslope on the south west and northwest. It probably joined or was intended to be incorporated in the hill-fort, thus enclosing about 15 acres. <2-3>

ST 73600307 to ST 73720330 Nettlecombe Tout earthwork remains as described by RCHM (2). It comprises a massive earthen bank 15.0m wide and up to 2.8m high on the internal northwest side, falling 3.8m into the southeast ditch which is 8.0m wide and 0.5m deep. The whole of the bank is densely overgrown with trees and scrub (poorly defined on OS air photographs <4.1> but is otherwise in excellent condition. The regular scarp average 2.0m high and 5.0m wide extends around the west and northwest sides of the hill-top (now under plough); it continues southwards past the west end of the bank and ditch, to join with the north end of the cross-dyke (ST 70 SW 11) at ST 73520291. Earthwork surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD in conjunction with RCHM Plan. <4>

The rampart curving around the south east side of the hillfort, and cutting it off from the summit of the hill to the south, is visible as low earthworks on lidar imagery and was digitally recorded during the Mid Dorset Downs AIM project. (Lidar 2021) (9)). A hollow is situated at each end of the dyke, these may be contemporay with the hillfort or much later features associated with post medieval extraction. Faint traces of earthworks on the northern and eastern side are also identifiable, these may form part of the hillfort or be associated with later extraction. The low bank on its northern side is marked on the OS 1st edition map.

National Record of the Historic Environment, 201967 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Stewart, D, 2013, Nettlecombe Tout, Dorset. A Geophysical Survey (Unpublished document). SDO21396.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch 2 (Map). SDO11594.

(ST 73700317) Camp

<2> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 173-174 (Monograph). SDO136.

‘(12) NETTLECOMBE TOUT (737032), Iron Age hill-fort, partly destroyed or unfinished, has a curving line of bank and ditch facing S.E., with an entrance near the S. end (plan on p. 174). The fort occupies a prominent position over 800 ft. above O.D., on a broad flat-topped spur jutting N.W., with steep slopes on all except the S.E. side. To the S.E. the site adjoins two elongated spurs extending southwards, the nearer parts of which are mostly enclosed by two dykes (13) and (14). For a discussion of earthworks in this area, see ‘Celtic’ Field Group (44).

The ramparts, 350 yds. long, returns sharply N.W. at the N.E. end, about 100 yds. short of the edge of the steep slope. It probably joined, or was intended to join, the line that is now marked by a scarp bounding the slope on the S.W. and N.W., thus enclosing about 15 acres. The scarp, 5 ft. high and more, is partly ancient, but it has been added to by recent ploughing. Near the S.W. end of the rampart the approach to the entrance gap is shielded by a short detached length of bank and ditch, now almost destroyed by ploughing. Where best preserved the bank is 45 ft. across, 9½ ft. high above the interior and 11½ft. high above the ditch. The ditch is 35 ft. across.’

<3> Barrett, G, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigator's Comments GB, F1 GB 06-DEC-78 (Unpublished document). SDO17369.

<4> Lock, G, and Ralston, I, 2017, Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland [ONLINE], EN3600 (Digital archive). SDO17130.

<4.1> Ordnance Survey, OS 74/058/123-124 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17529.

<5> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 880992 (Index). SDO14738.

RCME, Nettlecombe Tout Hillfort, Dorset: Bibliographic References : 1) Pt 2, Monument (12)

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 881110 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME, Nettlecombe Tout Hillfort Dyke, Dorset: Profile AB, North sideBibliographic References : 1) Pt 2, also related to Celtic Field Gp (44).

<7> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 882494 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME, Nettlecombe Tout Hillfort Dyke, Dorset: Includes profile. Annotation in letraset. Microfilmed 1979. A copy of this exists.Bibliographic References : 1) pt 2, Monument (18)

<8> Historic England, Historic England Archive, RCH01/096 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME Inventory: Dorset III (Central): A large collection of archive relating to the RCHME Dorset Inventory Volume III, published in 1970. It contains field surveys and excavation archive. Parish files containing original surveys have been given child collection status.

<9> Environment Agency, 16-NOV-2021, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO18034.

Record last edited

Nov 20 2025 5:22PM