Monument record MDO2603 - Enclosures on Loscombe Hill and Folly Hill, Sydling St Nicholas

Earthworks thought to be the remains of a complex of features of probable prehistoric date centred on an oval enclosure, and possibly associated with an extensive prehistoric field system in this area. The features are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and were digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Frome AIM project.

EARTHWORKS, on the ridge of Loscombe Hill and Folly Hill (about 700 ft. above O.D) N.W. of the church, consist of a series of banks and ditches of which, a semi-circular work adjoining the road on the N. seems to be the nucleus. This work consists of two parallel banks each about 8 to 10 ft. wide and 1 1/2 ft. high and partly destroyed in many places. The work probably formed an oval enclosure of which the part S. of the road has been destroyed; its greatest diameter is about 200
yards. About 150 yards to the W. is a linear work probably forming a hollow-way between two banks; it extends for about 290 yards and has been much destroyed. Nearly 200 ft. further W. is a cross-ridge work consisting of a bank with a ditch to the W.; a small length across a field about 200 ft. to the N. may be a further section of the same work. Running W. nearly at right-angles to this work is a further bank with a ditch on its N. side. A short length of ditch with traces of a bank on both
sides runs N. and S. about 150 yards N.E. of the oval work. Between it and the oval work is a shallow depression about 33 ft. in diam. With a surrounding bank. <2>

Two substantial double banked and ditched linear earthworks are visible as earthworks on aerial photograph on Folly Hill, Sydling St Nicholas <6-8>. A third smaller ditched linear earthwork is also visible as an extant earthwork. All three earthworks are recorded on the OS 1st Edition map <1>. The two large earthworks align north to south and run broadly parallel to each other just over 150m apart. The continue below and beyond the junction of two historic roads and fan out to the northwest and northeast as they head towards Folly Hill. The third smaller earthwork is visible as two sections of linear ditch just over 80m long and extending southwest from the southern edge of Sydling Road. All three earthworks are still extant and are Scheduled (List Entry 1002820).

The features may be prehistoric trackways, possibly cross dykes, of potentially Iron Age date and perhaps associated with extensive prehistoric field systems to the north (MDO2620) and south (MDO42966) as well as a sub-circular enclosure to the east. The enclosure comprises an inner bank with a ditch on its north side and the sugestion of an outer bank visible on its west side. The feature is approximately 180m long by 113m deep and it is probably truncated by the road to the south. The earthwork is also recorded on the OS 1st Edition map <1>. The features were digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Frome AIM project.

A number of earthworks situated on or across a NW to SE ridge, apparently associated with the Iron Age/Romano-British field system in the vicinity:

A ST 61580036 to ST 61620038 A short section of ditch 4.0m wide and 0.3m deep with a bank 0.1m high and 4.5m wide on its SE side.

B ST 61680035 to ST 61790008 A ditch with a bank on the E side runs obliquely across a ridge. The ditch is 4.0m wide and 0.3m deep and the bank is 4.5m wide and 0.2m deep. Partly mutilated and partly destroyed, it is cut by a modern road.

C ST 61960033 to ST 61920010 A very mutilated hollow-way. The ditch is 3m to 5m wide and averages 0.3m deep and is flanked in places by banks 4.0m wide and 0.3m high.

D ST 62050018 to ST 62220009 A partly mutilated semi-circular earthwork perhaps an enclosure or pound. It consists of a ditch 3.0m wide and 0.1m deep flanked by banks about 2.5m wide and 0.4m high.

E ST 62290018 A depression 12.0m in diameter and 0.5m deep. Possibly a hut circle. Open on the S side, it has a bank on the N and E sides.

F ST 62330032 to ST 62360023 A ditch 2.5m wide and 0.3m deep with vague traces of a bank on its W side. <3>


A Destroyed by ploughing. Line of ditch clearly visible as strong crop-mark.

B Plough levelled between ST 61680034 and ST 61750018, ditch course well defined by crop. The bank and ditch remain reasonably well preserved for 100.0m S of the modern road. A possible extension of this work to the N between ST 61610058 and ST 61640051 has now been ploughed out.

C The central portion of the hollow-way at ST 61900021 is now destroyed. A well preserved 60.0m length survives northwards at ST 61940030, but the southern section is badly damaged by flint diggings.

D The semi-circular defended enclosure/settlement covering internally about 1 1/2 hectares has been severely reduced by ploughing; its perimeter is now generally represented by a single scarp average 0.4m high with intermittent traces of an outer ditch. Possible original entrance gaps occur on the E & W
sides. There are no visible surface indications of the earthwork S of the road.

E An oval-shaped depression bearing a strong likeness to a quarry pit. Upcast forming a bank has been thrown around the lower N and E periphery only.

F A now poorly defined 80.0m length of shallow ditch; possibly the remains of a field way associated with the surrounding Celtic field-system (ST 60 SW 25).

This complex of probable Iron Age/Romano-Britishs settlement with possible associated boundary works and field systems is generally well defined as crop/soil marks on OS aerial photograph. Surveyed at 1:2500. <4>

The Loscombe Hill enclosure is extremely reduced by quarrying and heavy ploughing and fragmented by trackways. There are several disturbances and shallow sinking in the interior. A hollow-way of uncertain age leads up to it from the east. It is not certain if the two cross-ridge dykes to the west of the enclosure are contemporary with it. The cross-ridge dykes are integrated into a rectilinear field sytem of a larger size than the normal 'Celtic' fields. There are faint traces of 'Celtic' fields and probable medieval agriculture. It is impossible to isolate the different systems. <5>

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1864, 1886, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch one (Map). SDO10239.

(Centred: ST 62000026) Earthworks (NR)

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 235 (Monograph). SDO97.

‘(25) Earthworks, on the ridge of Loscombe Hill and Folly Hill (about 700 ft. above O.D.) N.W. of the church, consist of a series of banks and ditches of which a semi-circular work adjoining the road on the N. seems to be the nucleus. This work consists of two parallel banks each about 8 to 10 ft. wide and 1½ ft. high and partly destroyed in many places. The work probably formed an oval enclosure of which the part S. of the road has been destroyed; its greatest diameter is about 200 yards. About 150 yards to the W. is a linear work probably forming a hollow-way between two banks; it extends for about 290 yards and has been much destroyed. Nearly 200 ft. further W. is a cross-ridge work consisting of a bank with a ditch to the W.; a small length across a field about 200 ft. to the N. may be a further section of the same work. Running W. nearly at right-angles to this work is a further bank with a ditch on its N. side. A short length of ditch with traces of a bank on both sides runs N. and S. about 150 yards N.E. of the oval work. Between it and the oval work is a shallow depression about 33 ft. in diam. with a surrounding bank.’

<3> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 13-MAY-1955 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<4.1> Ordnance Survey, OS/71087/71 and 74 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17428.

<5> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, RCHM Ms File (unpublished revision of Dorset 1), 21-09-76 (Unpublished document). SDO17382.

<6> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-47, RAF/CPE/UK/1794 RP 3380-1 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16904.

<7> John Boyden, 23-OCT-71, JRB386/2331 (ST6200/4) (Aerial Photograph). SDO17074.

<8> National Monuments Record, 10-JAN-07, NMR24507/45 (ST6100/17) (Aerial Photograph). SDO17073.

<9> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/088 RCHME Inventory: Dorset I (West) and Revision (Unpublished document). SDO17367.

<10> National Record of the Historic Environment, 199162 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 1 2021 4:58PM