Monument record MDO1833 - Enclosure near Ringstead Barn, Osmington

A roughly square enclosure with three sides around 140 feet and one 170 feet long. The date of this monument is not known, but it is close to, and possibly associated with, an area of prehistoric fields. The enclosure is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of the 1940s.

A trapezoidal enclosure of about half an acre, sharply angular, with three sides of 140 feet and one of 170 feet. It lies, almost ploughed out, near Ringstead Barn at about 250ft above O.D on a gentle north-facing slope, dipping on the west into a small gully. It is below 'Celtic' fields (SY 78 SW 11) but remains undated. <1> <2>

The remains of this enclosure can no longer be recognised on the ground. The area, at present is pasture, has obviously been ploughed in recent years. <3>

The trapezoidal enclosure described <1> is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of the 1940s. It is formed of a bank with an external ditch on its southern and western sides and an internal ditch on the northern side. The enclosure measures approximately 67 m by 56 m. The enclosure is of uncertain date, but may be associated with a nearby later prehistoric to Roman field system or it may be later in date. <4> This feature was digitally plotted as part of the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 503 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘(42) ENCLOSURE, trapezoidal (SY 78 SE; 75068282), of about ½ acre, sharply angular, with three sides of 140 ft. and one of 170 ft. It lies, almost ploughed out, near Ringstead Barn at about 250 ft. above O.D. on a gentle N.-facing slope, dipping on the W. into a small gully. It is below ‘Celtic’ fields of Group (12), but remains undated. (R.A.F. V.A.P. CPE/UK 1821:4442-3.)’

<2> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1824 4318-9 (Aerial Photograph). SWX8264.

<3> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 14-JUL-80 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<4> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 4442-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11786.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 454131 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 8 2021 2:12PM