Monument record MDO2858 - Spoil heap, West Knighton

A grass covered bowl barrow in marshy ground. Diameter 25.0m, height 0.6m. Hollowed out on the east side. No visible ditch. <1>

Disturbed, doubtful bowl barrow. <2>

Mound, kidney-shaped, irregular (SY 736338780), 460 yds north-east of the church and immediately south-east of Common Plantation in boggy grassland over Reading Beds. Width about 66 ft, hut about 2 ft. <4>

Large mound, as described by RCHM (4), with two smaller mounds to the east of it. Recent mole-drainage of the area shows the
mounds to be composed of brick and tile 'wasters'. A representative selection of material deposited in Dorchester Museum. Surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD. <5>

The feature marked 'Tumulus' at SY 73638780 was ploughed in 1971 revealing a mass of brick and tile debris. Subsequent trial excavation, supported by documentary evidence established the site to be a mid-18th century brickyard, with a contemporary clay-pit still existing in Common Plantation. The kiln site was not located. Excavation finds consisted of mainly broken bricks, roofing tiles and crested ridge tiles; also wasters and (?furze) charcoal. Material found by 0S (5) is similar to that found during excavation). <6>

Site of a probable 18th century brickworks waste heap visible as earthworks on aerial photographs. Recorded as a 'tumulus' on the 1880 OS map. <8-10>

<1> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 11-DEC-54 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<2> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 52 (Monograph). SDO132.

<3> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 73638780) tumulus (NR)

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 482 (Monograph). SDO150.

<5> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F2 JGB 29-NOV-79 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<6> Young, D, Letter: D Young (industrial archaeologist), Dorset County Museum, 7.12.79 (Verbal communication). SDO20428.

<6.1> 1724, West Knighton Parish Records (Unpublished document). SDO20427.

<6.2> 1751, Manor of West Knighton (Map). SDO20426.

<7> Grinsell, L V, 1982, Dorset Barrows Supplement, 139 (Monograph). SWX1703.

<8> 14-APR-1968, NMR OS/68053 027 (Aerial Photograph). SDO10850.

<9> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 3079-81 (Aerial Photograph). SDO10847.

<10> Royal Air Force, 09-MAR-1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2475 4005-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDO10807.

<11> National Record of the Historic Environment, 454055 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 4 2024 4:43PM