Monument record MDO39493 - Historic or modern enclosures, East Parley Common, Hurn, Christchurch

Two small historic or modern enclosures on East Parley Common are visible on 1940s aerial photographs and were digitally plotted during the Dorset Stour NMP.

Two small historic or modern enclosures on East Parley Common are visible on 1940s aerial photographs (1).

The northwestern of the two enclosures measures 13.8m by 20m, with a possible entrance on its northeast side. The bank may have been formed using cast up earth. The southeastern enclosure measures 18m by 14m with an entrance on its northwes side. The two enclosures are positioned 16.5m apart.

The enclosures may be modern and associated with wider wartime military activity on the heathland north of Christchurch. Alternatively they may be medieval or post medieval agricultural enclosures, possibly bee gardens.

The enclosures were sited on open heathland in 1946. They were visible under scrub and deteriorating by 1957 (2). They have remained visible as scrub covered earthworks on aerial photographs through the 1960s to 1990s and may survive under tree cover on current Google Earth imagery (3).

The enclosures were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP.

<1> Royal Air Force, 12-DEC-46, RAF/CPE/UK/1893 RS 4168 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15448.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 18-SEP-57, OS/57R1 V 160 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15454.

<3> Google Earth, 2017, Google Earth 2017 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15388.

Record last edited

Feb 5 2020 9:51AM