Monument record MDO1689 - Cross dyke on Melcombe Hill, Melcombe Horsey

A linear earthwork consisting of a bank and ditch crossing the ridge of the hill. One of several dykes around Lyscombe Bottom. The cross dyke is visible as extant earthworks on lidar imagery and was digitally recorded during the Mid Dorset Downs AIM project. It possibly forms part of a much larger enclosure that, along with MDO1690 and MDO49351, once enclosed the hilltop to the south of Nettlecombe Tout.

This is one of a group of dykes of non-defensive character which appear to be associated with the surrounding Iron Age/Romano British field systems. <2>

ST 73530291 to ST 73550272 This cross-ridge dyke remains as described by RCHM (2). Extending for some 200.0m it consists of a bank 0.9m high on the east side, 1.8m on the west where a modern ditch 3.0m wide 0.8m deep follows the probable line of an earlier ditch. A gap 20.0m from the south end is probably modern. From both the north and south end strong lynchets link the earthwork with the IA fort (ST 70 SW 9) on Nettlecombe Tout, and a cross-dyke (ST 70 SW 35) on Bowden's Hill.
Dyke not described on OS 25" <2.1>.

Resurveyed at 1:2500 on MSD. <3>

The cross dyke is visible as extant earthworks on lidar imagery and was digitally recorded during the Mid Dorset Downs AIM project. It possibly forms part of a much larger enclosure that, along with MDO1690 and MDO49351, once enclosed the hilltop to the south of Nettlecombe Tout. (Lidar 2021, (5)).

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1962 (Map). SWX1540.

(ST 73530291 - ST 73520273) Cross Dyke

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

'(13) DYKE (73530291–73520273), runs N.—S. for some 315 yds. across the ridge of Lyscombe Hill, at over 800 ft. above O.D. The bank is about 25 ft. wide, up to 4½ ft. high on the E. and 7½ ft. high on the W., where the probable line of an original ditch is followed by a modern ditch. A lynchet up to 9 ft. high continues the line of the dyke to the N., around the S.W. and N.W. sides of Nettlecombe Tout. From the S. end of the dyke a corresponding lynchet, up to 6 ft. high, runs E. and S.E. for about 220 yds., following the shoulder of the hill until it turns towards (14).'

<3> Barrett, G, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigator's Comments GB, F1 GB 09-NOV-78 (Unpublished document). SDO17369.

<3.1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch 2 (Map). SDO11594.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 201973 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<5> Environment Agency, 16-NOV-2021, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO18034.

Record last edited

Nov 10 2025 6:35PM