Monument record MDO39497 - Possible early 20th century military depot, East Parley Common, Hurn, Christchurch

A tightly grouped concentration of sub-rectangular and sub-circular enclosures on East Parley Common are visible on 1940s aerial photographs. The features may be part of a military depot, possibly for the storage of fuel or ammunitions. They were digitally plotted during the Dorset Stour NMP.

A tightly grouped concentration of sub-rectangular and sub-circular enclosures on East Parley Common (1).

The enclosures are concentrated within a triangular area of ground on the northwestern edge of Bournemouth Hurn airport. In the southern part of the site the enclosures are typically rectangular, measuring 7.7m by 9m, comprising a narrow enclosing bank and an interior raised platform. The northern and eastern areas of the site contain a greater variety of featuress, including some larger sub-rectangular enclosures up to 9m by 14m and larger sub-circular enclosures typically around 10m wide. The narrow containing banks and internal platforms visible in the southernmost features are not evident in the northern area, possibly indicating phased occupation or use of the site or different functions within the contained features. There are no obvious entrances to any of the enclosures.

The enclosures may be associated with modern wartime military activity on the heathland north of Christchurch or as part of wartime Hurn airfield. They may be part of a military depot, possibly for the storage of fuel or ammunitions.The site appears to be out of use by 1946.

A good aerial photograph of the site was taken in the late 1950s (2). By 1962 the site is reverting to scrub and the features are only poorly visible (3).

The features are no longer visible on current Google Earth imagery.

The features 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> Royal Air Force, 31-AUG-62, RAF/543/1859 F21 480 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15443.

Record last edited

Jun 8 2018 3:17PM