Monument record MDO3572 - Cross dyke between Little Down and Fox Ground Down, Blandford St Mary

A cross dyke across the top of a ridge between Little Down and Fox Ground Down, and consisting of a ditch between two banks, and traces of a second ditch to the east. In 1970 the monument was described as surviving as an earthwork just over 100 yards long but damaged by ploughing at both ends. The cross dyke is visible as cropmarks and earthworks on aerial photographs and was digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM.

CROSS-DYKE (86040460-86040396) runs N.-S. across the top of a W.-E. ridge at over 300 ft. O.D. between Little Down and Fox Ground Down. It is just over 100 yds. long but was probably somewhat longer before ploughing destroyed it at each end; it consists of a medial ditch between two banks with traces of a second ditch on the E. The W. bank is 24 ft. across and 3 1/2 ft. high; the ditch is 12 ft. across and 1 ft. deep; the E. banks is 14 ft. across and 2 1/2 ft. high. <2>

ST 86040398 to S. Slight bank with ditch on E side: additional length of 300m visible on air photographs. <3>

The cross dyke is visible as cropmarks and earthworks on aerial photographs, <5-6> and was digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM. It runs for 96m in a north south direction and is now levelled <7>. It was digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1968 (Map). SWX1540.

(ST 86050401) Dyke

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 1, 45 (Monograph). SDO146.

'(27) CROSS-DYKE (86040460-86040396) runs N.-S. across the top of a W.-E. ridge at over 300 ft. O.D. between Little Down and Fox Ground Down. It is just over 100 yds. Long but was probably somewhat longer before ploughing destroyed it at each end; it consists of a medial ditch between two banks with traces of a second ditch on the E. The W. bank is 24 ft. across and 3½ ft. high; the ditch is 12 ft. across and 1 ft. deep; the E. bank is 14 ft. across and 2½ ft. high. The dyke lies some 500 yds. E. of Monument (26) and is probably associated with it'.

<3> Bowen, H C, 1991, The Archaeology of Bokerley Dyke: Inventory, 1 (Monograph). SDO14864.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 205622 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<5> National Monuments Record, 04-MAR-1970, NMR 169/63-66 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19461.

<6> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 FP 1017 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19462.

<7> Google Earth, 2009, Google Earth 2009 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15393.

Record last edited

Feb 16 2023 7:10PM