Monument record MDO37342 - Oval and sub-rectilinear enclosures c 470 metres west of Bishops Court Farm, Shapwick

An irregular sub-rectangular ditched enclosure visible on aerial photographs dated 2005. The monument is possibly partly open on its south-western side. Within this, and partly conjoined to, or sharing, the central part of its north east edge, there is a smaller sub-oval enclosure, probably of contemporary date. The enclosure was digitally plotted from aerial photographs during the Dorset Middle Stour AI&M Project. The record for this monument has been created with support from Wessex Water.

A possible later prehistoric enclosure, measuring 250m by 130m, was recorded as cropmarks on 2015 Historic England oblique aerial photographs. It is defined by irregular ditches and encloses a roughly rectangular shaped area. There is an enclosure, measuring about 40m by 30m, attached to the inside of the north side of the enclosure. This corresponds to the position of several kinks in the enclosure boundary. It is also recorded to varying degrees on Google Earth 2001, 2002, 2005, 2014, 2017 and 2018 vertical aerial photographs. It is centred at ST 9307 0259. <1>

Visible on aerial photographs dated 2005, an irregular sub-rectangular ditched enclosure measuring some 250 metres by 140 metres, with its long axis broadly north west/south east. The enclosure is possibly partly open on its south-western side. Within the enclosure, and partly sharing the central part of its north east edge, there is a smaller sub-oval enclosure measuring c 45 metres by c30 metres. The nature of the intersection between the two main elements of the site strongly suggests they are contemporary components of a single design, rather than superimposed monuments, and the site as a whole may represent a single farmstead. No other internal features could be discerned. Whilst intrinsically undated, the site is perhaps most likely to be of Iron Age or Roman date.

The enclosure was digitally plotted from aerial photographs during the Dorset Middle Stour AI&M Project <2-3>. A linear ditch, possibly a contemporary field boundary, is visible running south/south eastwards for 190m from the southwest corner of the enclosure. The potential site of a hut circle 7m across is visible within the enclosure at ST9303102623.

<1> Winton, Helen, RCHME/EH/HE Aerial Photographers comment HW (Verbal communication). SDO18745.

<1.1> Historic England Archive 29561_001-005, 007-011 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19406.

<1.2> Google Earth, 01-JAN-2001, Google Earth 2001, ACCESSED 17-DEC-2018 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13042.

<1.3> Google Earth, 2002, Google Earth imagery, ACCESSED 17-DEC-2018 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15980.

<1.4> Google Earth, 01-JAN-2005, Google Earth 2005, ACCESSED 17-DEC-2018 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18557.

<1.5> Google Earth, 2014, Google Earth 2014, ACCESSED 17-DEC-2018 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15450.

<1.6> Google Earth, 2017, Google Earth 2017, ACCESSED 17-DEC-2018 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15388.

<1.7> Google Earth, 2018, Google Earth 2018, ACCESSED 17-DEC-2018 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16663.

<2> Google Earth, XX-XXX-2005, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM (Aerial Photograph). SDO12698.

<3> Historic England Archive, 23-APR-2015, HEA 29561/001 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18305.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1622716 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 13 2023 5:10PM