Monument record MDO39611 - Historic enclosures, Fillybrook Bottom, Hurn, Christchurch

A loosely formed group of banked and ditched enclosures at Fillybrook Bottom are visible on 1940s aerial photographs. The features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP.

A loosely formed group of banked and ditched enclosures at Fillybrook Bottom are visible on 1940s aerial photographs (1).

Some of the enclosures are sub-circular, some appear to only partly survive as curvilinear sections of bank. There are additionally some smaller ditched and banked features, almost shallow scoops in the earth with cast up banks. The largest complete enclosure measures about 11m in diameter, the remaining features vary in size from around 2.5m to 7m in diameter.

The enclosures form part of a recurring suite of similar enclosures situated across the heathland north of Christchurch. Some of these may be early 20th century in date and of military function, perhaps associated with military training in the locality. Others may have a medieval or post medieval origin and be associated with agricultural activity on the heath, perhaps bee gardens. A series of trackways (MDO39277) running across this part of the heath appear to slightly respect these enclosures, indicating that the enclsoures are earlier in date.

An aerial photograph of 1957 shows the early plantation of trees across the site (2). The enclosures are not clearly visible by this time and the site is under dense tree cover on current Google Earth imagery (3).

The features were digitally plotted during the Dorset Stour NMP.

<1> Royal Air Force, 12-DEC-46, RAF/CPE/UK/1893 RP 3172-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15497.

<2> Royal Air Force, 18-SEPT-57, RAF/57R1 V 157 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15517.

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

Record last edited

May 21 2018 10:46AM