Monument record MDO3410 - Enclosure on Sheep Down, Winterbourne Steepleton

A sub-rectangular enclosure on Sheep Down is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs. It was excavated by Weymouth College of Education during July 1970.

A rectangular but slightly rhomboidal enclosure, 112 yards by 52 yards, consisting of a bank with outer ditch and suggestions of an outer bank. There is a gap in the bank with a slight causeway across the ditch forming an entrance in the centre of the east side. <2>

This enclosure is generally as described and is heavily overgrown with bracken. It consists of a bank which averages 0.4m high and 3.5m wide, with an outer ditch approx 4.0m wide and 0.4m deep. On the N and S sides of the enclosure are traces of an outer bank averaging 3.0m wide and 0.2m high. This cannot be seen on the W side, however, and on the E the road has been cut close to the earthwork so that a bank is formed which may not be in any way original. The entrance is on the E side, and there is no visible evidence of internal sub-divisions or of structures having existed. The earthwork appears to be well preserved, but there is no indication of its age. <3>

Excavations were carried out by students of the Weymouth College of Education during July 1970. The earthwork consisted of a rampart, exterior ditch and counterscarp bank covering an area of approx 0.1 hectare (1/4 acre). The rampart was of a turf construction, 3m wide, in size and style very similar to that of the Roman fort at Hod Hill. In front of this was a 'V'-shaped ditch 2m deep, 4m wide at the top. The corners were rounded and a ramp or ascensus 3m wide led up to the rampart walk on the south side. An entrance occurs in the east side with two post holes which suggested the possibility of a pair of gates on substantial posts. A considerable amount of pottery from late Bronze Age to late Roman was found but the enclosure lies adjacent to an area of Celtic fields and much of the pottery must be attributed to the occupation of these. The pottery in the layers sealed by the rampart however does not date later than War Cemetery bowls and other Durotrigian types suggesting a date in the 1st century AD for construction. Durotrigian pottery was used by the Roman army at Hod Hill and Waddon Hill, and the distinctive nature of the plan, the gateway, the ascensus and construction of rampart and ditch, make it reasonably clear that the site was a fortlet, possibly a signal station of the Roman conquest period. The absence of military finds and buildings is not significant in a temporary fortlet perhaps only used for one or two seasons' campaigning. <6>

The absence of positive dating evidence, and the appearance of the enclosure as seen in air photos, do not substantiate a Roman military origin. Some curving banks are visible in the interior.

This earthwork remains as described and generally is in a good state of preservation under grass and bracken. It occupies a sheltered situation just below a crest but the overall strategic position is good being at the head confluence of two deep valleys, one to the E, the other to the west. Re-surveyed at 1:2500. <8>

Sub-rectangular enclosure (not dated). The interior may have been subdivided. <10>

Sub rectangular enclosure 45 by 25 metres across, consisting of a bank averaging 0.45 metres high and 3.5 metres wide, with an outer ditch approximately 4m wide and 0.4m deep. On the north and south sides are traces of an outer bank averaging 3m wide and 0.2m high. The entrance is on the east side. It was excavated by Weymouth College of Education during July 1970 and this has suggested a late Iron Age or Roman date, though finds as early as the later Bronze Age were recovered. It has been suggested it could be a possible Roman fort or signal station but there is no evidence to support this. It occupies a sheltered situation just below a crest but the overall strategic position is good being at the head confluence of two deep valleys, one to the E, the other to the west. <15>

It is also visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs <11-14> and was digitally plotted during the South Dorset Ridgeway Mapping Project.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1903 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 6033 8808) Earthwork (OE)

<2> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, RCHME Ms file (Unpublished document). SDO19490.

<3> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 30-MAR-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 508 (Monograph). SDO150.

'(63) ENCLOSURE, sub-rectangular (SY 68 NW; 60338807), lies 300 yds. N. of the summit of Black Down some 650 ft. above O.D. and within the N.W. angle of the cross-roads (Fig. opp. p. 624). It lies on a gentle slope on pebble gravel of the Bagshot Beds. A bank about 14 ft. across rises some 1½ ft. above the interior and about 4 ft. above an outer ditch some 14 ft. wide with traces of a counterscarp bank. The interior is flat, ¼ acre in extent, and may have been sub-divided. The simple gap and causeway entrance is midway along the E. side.'

<5> Putnam, W G , Bradley, R , Viner, D, and Greene, P, 1971, 'Excavations for the Dorchester Excavation Committee, Interim Report, 1970' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 140-141 (Article in serial). SDO9680.

<6> Putnam, W G, 1971, Interim report on excavations at Black Down, Winterborne Steepleton (Article in serial). SDO14058.

<7> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1978, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1976, 62 (Serial). SDO76.

'WINTERBOURNE STEEPLETON (SY 603880). A plan of the Roman signal station has been produced by the Dorset Institute of Higher Education for the forthcoming excavation report by W. G. Putnam.'

<8> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F2 JGB 29-FEB-80 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<9> Papworth, M, 1983, The South Dorset Ridgeway Project: condition and management survey, SDR 708 (Index). SDO12304.

The site lies in an area of unmanaged heathland, grassland, bounded to the east by a fence and road; on all other sides by a 10-15 year old conifer plantation. 1?/3/B

<10> English Heritage, 1996, County list of Scheduled Monuments : March 1996 (Scheduling record). SWX2762.

<11> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1824 4279-81 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11791.

<12> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1824 3299-3300 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11849.

<13> 25-3-1970, NMR SY6087/4 (178) (Aerial Photograph). SDO11850.

<14> 25-3-1970, NMR SY6088/3 (178) (Aerial Photograph). SDO11851.

<15> National Record of the Historic Environment, 452274 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 7 2024 3:24PM