Monument record MDO1734 - Enclosure, Nether Cerne

Earthwork banks interpreted as two sides of an enclosure of probable prehistoric date. Pieces of Romano-British pottery have been picked up in the interior. An arrangement of linear banks at this location are is visible as earthworks on current Environment Agency lidar imagery. The features might form part of a cohesive feature, perhaps an enclosure, but equally could be part of of the wider later prehistoric field system at this location, recorded under MDO1741. The features were digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Cerne and Piddle Valleys AIM project.

The earthwork consists of a rectangular area 43yds by 36yds enclosed by a bank with internal ditch once, perhaps, extending right round, and constructed "on top of the lychets of a Celtic field" (see SY 69 NE 12) That the earthwork is Roman is suggested by a quantity of RB sherds, picked up from rabbit scrapes within, including the rim of a flanged bowl - Collingwood 30, C2nd-C4th and New Forest ware, but there are several fragments of coarse ware, one of which is certainly pre Ro in appearance. <2-3>

The NE and SE sides of the enclosure consist of a bank set upon a lynchet, with a much silted ditch within the bank. The SW side, probably once a continuation of the bank and ditch, has now been destroyed. The NW side is formed by a lynchet approximately 1.3m high. No surface finds were made, and though the earthwork may well be Roman, it is not possible by ground inspection to identify as being contemporary with the typical IA/RB field system. <4>

In the area delineated there are numerous molehills, rabbit scrapes, calcined flints, a heavy scatter of RB and coarse wheel turned pottery (prob IA), and the soil is dark - all in marked contrast to the surrounding ground. For these reasons it is considered to be the site of an IA/RB settlement - probably temporary - though, apart from the enclosure, the normal physical features of such a settlement are lacking.

The area is grass covered, there has been no modern disturbance and there is no indication that the south side of the enclosure has been destroyed. It seems more probably that it was never completed. <5>

(SY 68249851) Scheduled area includes this enclosure (see illust). <6>

SY 682985. Settlement enclosure formed by a 'Celtic' field (part of field system SY 69 NE 12) with a ditch dug along its sides 50 yds and 40 yds long; the NW side is a lynchet and any SW side has been destroyed. `New Forest' beaker fragments were found amongst sherds in rabbit scrapes here. Samian ware was found amongst other pottery 100 yds SW, of it. <7>

SY 683985 "Ancient settlement SW of Incombe Wood" Scheduled. <8>

The earthwork has been ploughed down and the ditch partly destroyed (see plan). The ditch where it survives, averages 7m wide and 0.3 metres deep; the bank is spread to 7m wide and is 1.1 metres high on its lower side. See ground photographs. Revised at 1:2500 on M.S.D.

A possible similar feature noted on OS APs some 100.0 metres to the north-west, is a heavily ploughed lynchet, the corner of a field of a now defunct system. <9>

A rapid examination of air photography suggests that the earthwork is part of a group extending northwest along the valley, in the form of a 'ladder', which may well be part of the field system SY 69 NE 12. <10>

An arrangement of linear banks at this location are is visible as earthworks on current Environment Agency lidar imagery. The arrangement comprises a distinct N-S lynchet on the west side, that might continue perpendicular to the northwest. Along with a further bank to the southwest, these banks form a U-shape. There are two further sections of linear bank to the southeast of these, with slight hollows that might be assocaited ditches or alternatively the result of post medeival chalk extraction. The features might form part of a cohesive feature, perhaps an enclosure, but equally could be part of of the wider later prehistoric field system at this location, recorded under MDO1741. The features were digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Cerne and Piddle Valleys AIM project. <12>

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1902 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 68249851) Earthwork (NR)

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 86 (Monograph). SDO97.

'(5) Earthwork, at the E. end of the parish 1,500 yards E. of the church, consists of two banks which would appear to have formed the N.E. and S.E. sides of a rectangular enclosure; the N.E. bank extends for some 50 ft. and is about 15 ft. wide and at most 3½ ft. high. The slopes to the N. and W. of the earthwork are covered by the well defined scarps of a field-system of Celtic type.'

<3> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1953, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1952, 91 (Serial). SDO52.

<4> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 07-DEC-54 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<5> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F2 JR 15-DEC-54 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<6> Department of the Environment, Department of the Environment (Inspector of Ancient Monuments) Record Form, 1967 (Index). SDO17344.

<7> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 322 (Monograph). SDO136.

<7.1> National Monuments Record, NMR 4527: 61 (Aerial Photograph). SDO20023.

<8> Department of the Environment, 1977, Department of the Environment (IAM) Ancient Monuments of England Vol 2, 77 (Monograph). SWX2300.

<9> Attrill, N J, Field Investigators Comments NJA, F3 NJA 05-JAN-81 (Unpublished document). SDO14743.

<10> Miller, Andrew, 1993, RCHME: AP Primary Recording Project (Unpublished document). SWX1708.

<11> National Record of the Historic Environment, 452919 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<12> Environment Agency, 16-NOV-2021, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO18034.

Record last edited

Dec 20 2024 6:50PM