Monument record MDO18091 - Maumbury Rings Civil War fort

The Roman amphitheatre at Maumbury Rings was adapted to form a 'fort' during the Civil War, as part of the defences of Dorchester. Documentary records indicate this took place between 1642-1643. The work comprised the filling in of the southern entrance of the Roman amphitheatre to form a projecting bastion and a ramp up from the interior. Two further ramps were added to the internal east and west sides of the bank. An earthern parapet was added to the top of the bank on the south side. A sunken 'covered way' ran from the north entrance towards the town and a ditched 'salient' added on the west side of the north entrance. An unfinished well was found in the NW part of the interior.

The seventeenth century civil war alterations to the Roman amphitheatre earthworks at Maumbury Rings were investigated during the excavations directed by H St George Gray between 1908-1913. The monument was fully described and interpreted by Richard Bradley in 1976 (1).

During the seventeenth century AD, there were a number of changes made to the Roman amphitheatre earthwork at Maumbury Rings. A ramp with a projecting earthwork promontory, perhaps a bastion, was constructed over the southern entrance of the amphitheatre and two ramps or terraces were added on the internal sides of the Roman bank, to the east and west. A slight earthen parapet was added to the top of the bank on the southern side. A shallow perimeter ditch was cut all around the external edge of the bank except at the north entrance. Running along the eastern side of the northern entrance was a flat-bottomed ditch about 3.4m wide and 2.1m deep which continued north from Maumbury Rings. Part of a similar feature have been found further north on the site of the brewery (2). This feature was interpreted by St George Gray as a ‘covered way’ or protected passage linking Maumbury with the seventeenth century town defences (3). There is documentary evidence for a ‘fort’ at the South Gate and it is likely the two defences were linked. On the western side of the entrance was an angular trench up to 2.8m wide and between 1.1—1.8m deep. This has been suggested as a ‘salient trench’ cutting of the open ground between the ‘covered way’ and the bank on the western side of the entrance. A well was found on the western edge of the Roman arena, but appears to be unfinished.

A small quantity of seventeenth century finds were recovered, including pottery and metalwork.

A grave containing two inhumations overlay the Roman deposits and was sealed by the turf line under the western ramp. Some post-medieval finds were found in the grave fill. The date of this grave is uncertain, but is earlier than the fort.

Documentary evidence indicates that the defences of Dorchester were constructed between 1642-1643. A survey of 1649 refers to ‘ye fort called Mambry’ (4). It is possible that the defences of Maumbury were unfinished, as the east and west ramps did not reach the crest of the bank and the well was unfinished.

Pope, A, 1885, The Amphitheatre at Dorchester. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club (Article in serial). SDO9397.

Pope, A, 1900, An Ancient British Trackway, 105-110 (Article in serial). SDO9398.

Gray, H St George, 1908-1913, Maumbury Rings excavation archive (Excavation archive). SDO9419.

Gray, H St George, 1910, Interim report on the Excavations at Maumbury Rings, Dorchester, 1910, 232-266 (Article in serial). SDO9390.

Gray, H St George, 1914, Fifth Interim Report on the Excavations at Maumbury Rings, Dorchester, 88-118 (Article in serial). SDO9392.

Bellamy, P S, 2013, Maumbury Rings, Dorchester, Dorset, Archaeological Observations and Recording during new fencing and retaining wall construction, June-September 2012 (Unpublished document). SDO13990.

<1> Bradley, R, 1976, Maumbury Rings, Dorchester: The Excavations of 1908-1913, 1-97 (Article in serial). SDO9387.

<2> Gray, H St George, 1908, Interim report on the Excavations at Maumbury Rings, Dorchester, 1908, 256-72 (Article in serial). SDO9388.

<3> Gray, H St George, 1913, Interim report on the Excavations at Maumbury Rings, Dorchester, 1912, 81-106 (Article in serial). SDO9391.

<4> Gray, H St George, 1909, Interim report on the Excavations at Maumbury Rings, Dorchester, 1909, 215-235 (Article in serial). SDO9389.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:26PM