Monument record MDO32402 - Enclosure and field system north east of Gussage All Saints, Gussage All Saints

A possible sub-circular settlement enclosure with a broad, east facing funnel entrance. A complex of probable enclosures or field boundary ditches seen in the close environs of the settlement may, at least in part, be broadly contemporary but a series of rectilinear enclosures overlying the circular enclosure may be later in date. The features are visible as cropmarks on a 1975 aerial photograph and were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

A subcircular enclosure and associated features visible as cropmarks on air photographs. The enclosure itself is circa 0.8 hectares in area, and features antennae ditches flanking its southeast-facing entrance. The interior of the enclosure features numerous pits, and is partly overlain by smaller, rectilinear enclosures, suggesting several phases of activity. Opposite the entrance is ditched linear feature, assumed to represent a trackway, which heads north in the approximate direction of enclosure complex SU 01 SW 96, and south downslope in the direction of the Gussage Brook. The cropmarks of the site are discussed in the final report on excavations at the morphologically similar Gussage All Saints Iron Age/Roman site (ST 91 SE 24), located less than a kilometre to the southwest, where the site is referred to as 'Gussage II'. There it is noted that "careful searching under the acute and archaeologically experienced eyes of Mr Martin Green has revealed, up to 1975, no signs of Roman occupation".

SU 004110. Subcircular enclosure with 'antennae', area 0.8 ha., visible on air photographs. Partly overlaid by rectangular enclosures; served by ditched track, partly hollowed. <1-2>

A possible sub-circular settlement enclosure c60m in diameter with a broad, east facing widely-splayed funnel entrance. The curvilinear northern entrance ditch projects northward from the enclosure and may extend into the adjacent field, where its course is obscure. A complex of probable enclosure or field boundary ditches seen in the close environs of the settlement may, at least in part, be broadly contemporary with use of the settlement.

This site (along with Monument MDO32395) comprises part of a series of cropmarks defined and published by G.J.Wainwright (1979) as the "Gussage 2" Iron Age settlement.

A series of ditched curvilinear features are visible as cropmarks on a 1975 aerial photograph <4>. The curvilinear features may represent field enclosures and possible trackways associated with a field system of Iron Age or Romano-British date. Some of the boundaries appear to form sub-rectangular and sub-circular enclosures that may also be settlement-related. The features are located just to the east of a banjo enclosure (MDO32395) and may be broadly contemporary with this, although some of the ditched linears appear to form a number of rectilinear enclosures that partially overlies the banjo enclosure, indicating a possible later phasing of settlement activity at this location. A section of linear ditched trackway runs along the east side of the rectilinear enclosures.

Towards the eastern and southern extent of the possible settlement and field system are additional curvilinear and sub-circular features that may be associated with pits and possible ring-ditches (MDO39856). These are similar to features also visible within the banjo enclosure MDO32395 (1). They are likely to be associated with broadly contemporary settlement activity, although it is also possible that some of the pits present at this location are later marl pits associated with medieval and post medieval soil improvement.

The features are still partially visible on a 2005 vertical aerial photograph <5>. The present-day field is still used for crops, however, and the archaeology may be vulnerable to plough activity.

The features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

<1> Wainwright, G J, 1979, Gussage All Saints. An Iron Age Settlement in Dorset, 179-183 (Monograph). SDO14247.

<2> Bowen, H C, 1990, The Archaeology of Bokerley Dyke, 89, 92 (Monograph). SWX800.

<3> Bowen, H C, 1991, The Archaeology of Bokerley Dyke: Inventory, 27 (Monograph). SDO14864.

<4> John Boyden, 01-JAN-75, JRB 833/8 (SU0010/29) (Aerial Photograph). SDO15641.

<5> Dorset County Council, 2005, Digital vertical aerial photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDO12570.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 868716 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 16 2023 7:52AM