Monument record MDO2862 - Stone on Little Mayne Farm, West Knighton

The Little Mayne stone circle is marked now only by a few scattered sarsens. Roger Gale, who visited the site in 1728 records "a circle of stone lately broke to pieces by the owner of the land", and "two avenues of pitcht Stones leading up to it, one from the south, the other from the east".

John Sydenham visited Little Mayne in 1847, and although his description of outer circles and avenues seems fanciful, it is difficult to discount his record of "a complete but small circle.... composed of ten or eleven stones... about thirty feet in diameter".

Warne writes that by 1868 all had been destroyed. <1>

About fifty exposed sarsen stones lie prostrate in the area of Little Mayne Farm. It is not possible to determine if any are in situ, and no pattern of circles or avenues can be traced. Earthworks to the west and north-east of the farmhouse are probably part of the manorial establishment. <2>

The sarsens scattered around Little Mayne Farm are a natural phenomenon and form no coherent plan, despite alleged arrangements in one or more circles or avenues (one of which is certainly a Medieval road). Most have been moved. <4>

The remaining sarsen stones in the area are as described by Authority 3 and 4. Stone symbol detail revised on M.S.D. at 1:2500. <5>

<1> Piggott, S, and Piggot, C M, 1939, 'Stone and Earth Circles in Dorset', Antiquity Volume 13 Issue 50, 138-158 (Article in serial). SDO19843.

<1.1> Warne, C, 1872, Ancient Dorset (2nd Edition), 121 (Monograph). SWX1971.

<2> Swatridge, G C, Various, Field Investigators Comments GCS, F1 GCS 25-AUG-54 (Unpublished document). SWX1169.

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

(SY 72338706) Stone Circle (NR) (remains of) (NAT)

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 513 (Monograph). SDO150.

<5> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F2 JGB 26-NOV-79 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 454015 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 4 2024 3:44PM