Monument record MDO2064 - Medieval enclosure on Hewish Hill, Portesham

A medieval square enclosure visible as earthworks on aerial photographs. Surface finds after ploughing in 1970 included pottery of 12th to 14th century date, and a whetstone.

A medieval square enclosure visible as earthworks on aerial photographs <1> <2> on Hewish Hill. The site was digitally plotted during the South Dorset Ridgeway Mapping Project.

A square enclosure, possibly medieval or later, lies on the north-falling slope of Hewish Hill. A shallow, unbroken ditch, 11ft to 21ft wide, with no trace of an inner or outer bank, bounds an area of just under 1/2 acre. A drainage ditch running north to south continues the line of the west side and another runs north from the north side near the north east angle. This angle juts prominently above the level of the ground outside, giving a platform-like effect. Slight scarps
run east to west across the interior and some small limestone blocks appear in one, to the south, which edges a shallow platform 12ft wide. The site is probably that noted in 1923. <3>

Surface finds made after ploughing in 1970 and identified by Mr P R Walker included several pieces of domestic pottery thought to date to the 12th to 14th centuries, and a boat-shaped whetstone, possibly post-medieval. The enclosure site was under grass in 1972. <4>

This enclosure has been much ploughed since RCHM report (1), and there are no identifiable remains. The area is at present under pasture. <5>

<1> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 6455-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12122.

<2> Royal Air Force, 22-JAN-1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2431 4294-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18071.

<3> 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.

‘(56) ENCLOSURE, square, possibly mediaeval or later (SY 68 SW; 64358423), lies on the N.-falling slope of Hewish Hill, a limestone ridge just above 100 ft. A shallow unbroken ditch 11 ft. to 21 ft. wide with no trace of an inner or outer bank bounds an area of just under ½ acre. A drainage ditch running N. to S. continues the line of the W. side and another runs N. from the N. side near the N.E. angle. This angle juts prominently above the level of the ground outside, giving a platform-like effect. Slight scarps run E. to W. across the interior and some small limestone blocks appear in one, to the S., which edges a shallow platform 12 ft. wide. The site is probably that noted in 1923 (Dorset Procs. XLIV (1923), lxix).’

<3.1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1923, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club for 1922-1923, lxix (Serial). SDO29.

<4> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1973, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1972, 87 (Serial). SDO72.

'(i) Part of 'slashed' strap-handle and body of glazed jug, and two small body-sherds, from the farm track which now marks the west side of the enclosure. The largest sherd bears sparse, lustrous yellowish-green glaze. All are sand-tempered with a buff-grey core and orange surfaces. Date: 13th-14th century.
(ii) Seven body-sherds and one rim-sherd, very roughly wheel-marked, representing at least four vessels (cooking pots and pans), found around 64258422 on the east bank of an overgrown stream about 100 yds. west of the enclosure. The quality of these vessels is much poorer than that of the jug (i) ; the sherds contain much grit and vary in surface colour from dark buff to grey-black; all cores are dark. Date: probably 12th-13th century, but one or two sherds may be of the 14th century.
(iii) Boat-shaped whetstone of ferruginous sandstone; length 6.5 ins., max. thickness 2 ins., max. width 1.9 in. Date: possibly post-medieval. Found on east bank of stream just north of (ii). The site is now (1972) under grass.'

<5> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 16-APR-80 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<6> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 452808 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jun 28 2022 10:44AM