Monument record MDO1962 - Enclosure at Pond Eweleaze, Piddletrenthide

An irregular earthwork enclosure of around 13 acres, consisting of a low bank with an external ditch. Part of the bank of the enclosure is preserved as part of the parish boundary with Cheselbourne, but most has been ploughed.

An enclosure at ST 730008, comprising an irregular pentagon of 13 acres, is now largely destroyed. There is a low bank up to 5 feet across with an external ditch 4 feet wide and 2 feet deep at the south east angle of the enclosure where it indents the parish boundary with Cheselbourne. Air photographs suggest that there was possibly an entrance in the south side. The enclosure appears to be linked to the adjoining Celtic field system (ST 70 SW 47), and by a scarp to a dyke to the north-east (ST 70 SW 43). <1-2>

ST 73000080. This enclosure probably part of a 'Celtic' field system, remains much as described by RCHM <1>. The bank has been fragmented by modern agriculture, and where extant is discernible only as a ploughed down ground swelling, up to 0.3m high. No finds were made in the interior which was partly ploughed, and partly under grass when visited. The extent of the enclosure is well defined on OS air photographs <3.1-3.2>. <3>

<1> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 222 (Monograph). SDO136.

'(65) ENCLOSURE (730008), now largely destroyed, comprising an irregular pentagon of 13 acres, lay at just over 500 ft. above O.D. on a S.W.-facing slope N., of Pond Eweleaze. The S.E. angle of the enclosure indents the parish boundary with Cheselbourne and a fragment of it is there preserved; it is a low bank up to 5 ft. across, with an external ditch 4 ft. wide and 2 ft. deep. Air photographs (R.A.F. CPE/UK 1974: 4344-5) suggest that there was possibly an entrance in the S. side. The N. angle appears to be linked with Cheselbourne (22) by a scarp (see also 'Celtic' Field Group (44)).'

<2> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-47, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 4365-67, 4365-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17536.

<3> Barrett, G, Various, Field Investigators Comments GB, F1 GB 25-OCT-78 (Unpublished document). SDO17369.

<3.1> Ordnance Survey, OS 74/058/111 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17574.

<3.2> Ordnance Survey, OS 74/058/112 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17568.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 202044 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

May 2 2025 2:28PM