Monument record MDO39566 - Post medieval or modern enclosure, Hurn, Christchurch

A banked enclosure or possible extractive pit to the southeast of Week Common is visible on 1940s aerial photographs. The feature may be between post medieval and modern in date and was digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP.

A banked enclosure or possible extractive pit to the southeast of Week Common is visible on 1940s aerial photographs (1). A good image of the feature is found on an aerial photograph of 19567 (2) and it is also visible on current Lidar imagery (3).

The enclosure/extractive pit may be between post medieval and modern in date and comprises a 37m long by 21m wide horse-shoe-shaped bank with an opening to the east. It shows up clearly on aerial photographs of 1946 and 1957 (1 and 2). By 1957 the banks appear to be covered in scrub and there are trees within the enclosure itself. It is still visible on current Google Earth imagery, filled with water (4).

There are several open gravel pits to the west of the feature, the majority of which are probably natural, although possibly with some working. It seems likely that this feature is an extractive pit but it is distinguished from the adjacent gravel pits by its clear horse-shoe shape and banked edges.

The enclosure or extractive pit was digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP.

<1> Royal Air Force, 12-DEC-46, RAF/CPE/UK/1893 RP 3171 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15486.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 18-SEPT-57, OS/57R5 V 94 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15496.

<3> Environment Agency, XX-XXX-2015, Environment Agency DTM Lidar 50cm (Aerial Photograph). SDO15306.

<4> Google Earth, 2017, Google Earth 2017 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15388.

Record last edited

Sep 26 2019 3:38PM