Monument record MDO37379 - Linear feature east of Buzbury Rings, Tarrant Rawston

A plough-levelled linear feature east of Buzbury Rings, visible on aerial photographs dated 2005. The eastern part of this feature was recorded as a geophysical anomaly and subsequently excavated in 2012 revealing a ditch terminal. No dating evidence was recovered. The record for this monument has been created with support from Wessex Water. The linear earthwork is visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs, where it it suggested it continues southwestwards, skirting, and therefore respecting, a curvilinear enclosure (MDO5034) - and see NRHE Hob UID 1622652 and Hob UID 209407. The feature was digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM Project.

An irregular north east - south west aligned linear feature, probably formerly an earthwork, visible just to the east of Buzbury rings as a pale cropmark on aerial photographs dated 2005. The feature can be traced for a distance of about 195 metres before turning abruptly NNW near its eastern end for a further distance of at least 25 metres. The western end of the feature appears to continue under an adjacent golf course but could not be traced. [1]

This linear feature appears to be part of an extensive ancient field group ('Celtic' Field Group 70). [2]

The eastern end of this linear feature was recorded as two linear positive geophysical anomalies (230 and 231) during the geophysical survey of the the proposed route of the Corfe Mullen to Salisbury Water Transfer Scheme in 2012. [3]

Evaluation excavation of geophysical anomaly 231 in 2012 revealed a ditch terminal (19002). This ditch was about 2.5m wide and 1.2m deep with an eroded V-profile. No artefacts other than three worked flint flakes were recovered. [4]

The linear earthwork is visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs [5, 6]. It comprises a curvilinear ditched trackway that extends southwest-northeast for approximately 260m before turning north for a further 30. At it southwestern end it potentially continues eastwards around the outer perimeter of a curvilinear enclosure (MDO5034) before continuing southwest once more - recorded along this section under MDO5035 - and see NRHE Hob UID 1622652 and Hob UID 209407. Although it is possible the two trackways end either side of the curvilinear enclosure and are in fact separate features, an aerial photograph dated 1976 potentially suggests one continuous feature that respects the curvilinear enclosure, which would indicate that the trackway is contemporary with or later than that.

The feature was digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM Project.

Marsh, B and Biggs, M, 2012, Geophysical Survey Report Corfe Mullen to Salisbury WTS, 27 (Unpublished document). SDO14089.

Havard, T and Nicholl, M, 2013, Corfe Mullen to Salisbury Transfer Scheme, Wessex Water, Dorset and Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation, 14 (Unpublished document). SDO14094.

<1> GetMapping, 2005, Digital vertical aerial photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDO12563.

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1972, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North), 118-119 (Monograph). SDO99.

<5> National Monuments Record, 08-APR-1976, NMR 915/27-32 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18500.

<6> Ordnance Survey, 13-SEP-1982, OS/82203 V 213 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18484.

Record last edited

Oct 16 2023 10:52AM