Monument record MDO2966 - Enclosure at Culliford Tree, Whitcombe

A D-shaped enclosure at SY 70078542 is visible on air photographs only. It measures about 100 feet by 80 feet, with bank and inner ditch each about 13 feet across, and lies among the barrows of the Culliford Tree group (SY 78 NW 6). The enclosure is cut by the ditch of one of the barrows, and is therefore of Bronze Age date at the latest. (Possibly the earthwork on Mayne Down listed by Warne. See SY 78 NW 13). <1-2>

Nothing visible on the ground, nor on O.S. air photographs. The indicated site is in a ploughed field. <3>

A curvilinear banked and ditched enclosure visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs and previously suggested to be Bronze Age in date. <5-6>

A D-shaped enclosure visible as a cropmark on air photographs. RCHME described it as measuring circa 100 feet by 80 feet, defined by a bank and inner ditch each about 13 feet wide. The enclosure lies among the (still extant) barrows of the Culliford Tree barrow group and associated monuments) and appears to be cut by one of them, suggesting that it may be of Bronze Age date. The enclosure has been tentatively identified with the feature described in 1865 by Warne and recorded as SY 78 NW 13, though this is highly speculative. <8>

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 504 (Monograph). SDO150.

<2> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 1056 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19913.

<3> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 16-NOV-79 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<3.1> Ordnance Survey, OS 78/080 126 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19914.

<4> Papworth, M, 1983, The South Dorset Ridgeway Project: condition and management survey, SDR (Index). SDO12304.

No visible trace in regularly ploughed field in ley pasture. Ploughed out. 7/7/E

<5> 22-APR-1954, NMR SY 7085/6-10 (Aerial Photograph). SDO10766.

<6> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1824 3284-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDO10765.

<7> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 454031 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jun 28 2023 2:23PM