Monument record MDO4005 - Cross dyke, Ibberton

Cross-dyke runs slightly obliquely across the ridge between Chitcombe Down and a coombe to the east. It is univallate and about 325 yds long with a ditch on the south side but is now almost completely ploughed out. At the east end about 30 yds remain, the low bank is 20ft. across and the ditch is 15ft. across and 1ft. deep.

'A', ST 78810643 to 'B', ST 79070638. Air photographs (a) show crop marks of an earthwork which crosses at an oblique angle the ridge at Chitcombe Down.
Field investigation was confined to the extremities because of corn crops, but the east end of the work is under rough pasture and consists of a bank 30.0m. long, 9.0m. wide and 0.25m. high. On the south side of the bank there is a poorly defined ditch, 5.0m. wide and 0.1m. deep. West of this investigated section the bank is discernible under the corn crop.
The earthwork is not traceable west of 'A', but there is an undulation on the bridle road at ST 78930641.

The air photo shows a faint extension east of 'B', but this cannot be seen on the ground and may not be part of the earthwork.

From the situation, air photographs and section investigated on the ground the earthwork seems probably to have been a non-defensive boundary cross-ridge dyke of Iron Age type. <1>

ST 7880643 - ST 79080638. Cross-dyke runs slightly obliquely across the ridge between Chitcombe Down and a coombe to the east. It is univallate and about 325 yds long with a ditch on the south side but is now almost completely ploughed out. At the east end about 30 yds remain, the low bank is 20ft. across and the ditch is 15ft. across and 1ft. deep. A possible break north of centre is suggested by air photographs. <2>

A later prehistoric cross dyke is visible as earthworks on 1940s aerial photographs and current Environment Agency lidar imagery (RAF 1945; RAF 1947; EA 2018). At its southeastern end the feature appears to extend into part of a later prehistoric field system (MDO43338); part of the feature is visible as faint earthworks on 1940s aerial photographs (RAF 1945; RAF 1947). Banked field boundaries visible on lidar in this area could potentially post-date the cross dyke; the direct relationship is not certain from just the available aerial sources. The visible extent of the feature is possibly as long as 630m. It was digitally plotted during the Mid Dorset Downs AIM project.

Royal Air Force, 22-JAN-1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2431 RS 4338 (Aerial Photograph). SDO21687.

Royal Air Force, 27-MAR-1945, RAF/106G/LA200 FS 2068 (Aerial Photograph). SDO21689.

Environment Agency, xx-xxx-2018, Environment Agency National Lidar Programme DTM 1M (Aerial Photograph). SDO21483.

<1> Quinnell, N V, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigator's Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 17-AUG-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<1.1> Royal Air Force, RAF/CPE/UK/2431 4338-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17513.

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 1, 125 (Monograph). SDO146.

<2.1> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 2172-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17514.

<3> Historic England, National Record of the Historic Environment, 201741 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 17 2026 3:36PM