Monument record MDO2809 - Dyke, on parish boundary between Hilfield and Up Cerne

A linear earthwork across the ridge between Hilfield and Up Cerne parishes. Said to have been called the 'Great Ditch'. This feature is interpreted as a possible cross dyke of Iron Age date.

"Great Ditch" (name not verifiable) formerly extended from ST 63950435 to ST 63070421, obliquely crossing the ridge in a NNW-SSE direction. At ST 63040430 it was cut by a ridgeway road. The 100m stretch to the SE of the road has since 1952 been completely destroyed by ploughing and the 50m NW of the road now survives as a ditch 7.0m wide and 0.5m deep terminating on the steep NW face of a combe. The situation and former extent suggests that it was a 'cross-ridge dyke' type of boundary work. Remains surveyed at 1:2500. <3>

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 87 (Monograph). SDO97.

'(5) Bank and Ditch across the boundary between this parish and that of Hillfield, 1½ m. N.W. of the church, can be traced for about 150 yards. It probably extended across the ridge top and has the ditch on the W. side. In its best preserved part the bank is about 9 ft. wide and 9 in. high, while the ditch is 16 ft. wide and 2 ft. to 3 ft. deep.'

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1962 (Map). SWX1540.

Great Ditch (NR)

<3> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, 20-OCT-76 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 199157 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 1 2021 4:21PM