Monument record MDO1692 - Dyke, Melcombe Horsey

A linear earthwork crossing the ridge of the hill, and consisting of a bank with a ditch along the western side. One of several dykes around Lyscombe Bottom. A long linear earthwork is visible as an earthwork on lidar imagery running along the top of the ridge of Bowden's Hill. It extends northwestwards towards the cross dyke described in MDO1691, onwards to MDO1961 and possibly beyond towards Nettlecombe Tout hillfort, fossilised in a modern field boundary. The feature was digitally recorded during the Mid Dorset Downs AIM Project running for up to 890m in a NE-SW direction.

This is one of a group of dykes of non-defensive character which appears to be associated with the surrounding Iron Age/Romano British field systems. <1-2>

ST 74100228 to ST 74210209 The non-defensive dyke remains physically as described by RCHM <1>. It extends in earthwork form for a total of 240.0m and is defined by a bank of average 7.0m wide, which rises up to 1.2m high above the bottom of a silted ditch 5.0m wide, and 0.7m deep. At the southern end, the curving line of the boundary work is now defined across ploughland by a vague unsurveyable scarp. The earthwork is generally in fair condition, and almost totally obscured by dense scrub.

Surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD.

The probable 'Celtic' field remains, at the northwest end of the dyke still survive as plough - damaged, fragmentary scarps, up to 0.5m high. <3>

A long linear earthwork is visible as an earthwork on lidar imagery running along the top of the ridge of Bowden's Hill. It extends northwestwards towards the cross dyke described in MDO1691, onwards to MDO1961, and possibly beyond towards Nettlecombe Tout hillfort fossilised in a modern field boundary. The feature was digitally recorded during the Mid Dorset Downs AIM Project running for up to 890m in a NE-SW direction. (Environment Agency 2021 (6)) The feature possibly continues to the south east towards Highdon Hill (MDO49357).

<1> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 175 (Monograph). SDO136.

'(16) Dyke (74100225–74210209), runs just above the rounded shoulder of Bowden's Hill, immediately E. of dyke (15), which appears to cut its ditch. The ditch lies on the W., uphill, side and together with the bank measures some 40 ft. across, the whole being much disturbed. The dyke begins 34 yds. N. of (15) and extends S.S.E. for 230 yds., finally curving S.E.; beyond, the line of the dyke is continued for at least a further 370 yds. as a bank or scarp in arable ground. Just beyond the N.W. end are fragmentary scarps, probably the remains of 'Celtic' fields.'

<2> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-47, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 4363-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17544.

<3> Stone, J W, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigator's Comments JWS, F1 JWS 05-DEC-78 (Unpublished document). SDO11902.

<4> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/096 RCHME Inventory: Dorset III (Central) (Unpublished document). SDO17384.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 202107 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<6> Environment Agency, 16-NOV-2021, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO18034.

Record last edited

Nov 13 2025 6:30PM