Monument record MDO4032 - Bull Pit, Iwerne Courtney or Shroton

The remains of a circular pit with a ramped entrance in the north east within Bull Pit Coppice. Its date and purpose are unknown but it could have been a pit for bull-baiting. The record for this monument has been enhanced with support from Wessex Water.

Bull Pit (name not confirmed) consists of a circular pit 28.0m diameter and 2.0 m deep, with a level bottom, 20.0 m diameter. The very smooth and regular profile suggest deliberate construction. A 4.0 m wide ramp on the southwest leads into a 1.6 m deep hollow; 12.0 m long and 3.0 m wide which curves around the southeast side of the pit; if the pit was used for bull-baiting it may by a 'pound'. From this 'hollow-way', basal width 1.5 m, depth 1.2 m, runs along the east side of the pit before turning and leading into the pit on the northeast. The basal width of this entrance is 2.0 m. There is no indication of a surrounding bank to the pit or of spoil from it. The 'hollow-way' appears to cut a, low, probably coppice-bank and ditch; and this, together with the pits good condition, suggests a late, possibly post Medieval, date of construction, though its possible use for bull-baiting could not be substantiated. (Bull-baiting was outlawed by Act of Parliament in 1835). Divorced Survey at 1:2500 on permatrace. <3>

The rarity of this specific type of feature, and its vulnerability to 'in-filling', warrants a recommendation for a DOE scheduling order. <4>

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 25 inch scale map, 1900 (Map). SDO18020.

ST 88831348 Bull Pit (NAT)

<2> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 131 (Monograph). SDO136.

'(17) BULL PIT (88831348) lies in Bull Pit Coppice, a m. E.N.E. of the village and immediately W. of the Shaftesbury-Blandford Road. Its date and purpose are unknown but it could have been a pit for bull-baiting. The remains consist of a circular pit 90 ft. in diameter and 7 ft. deep, with a flat bottom 65 ft. across. A ditch or hollow-way 25 ft. wide and 2½ ft. deep runs around the outside of the pit from the S.W. and turns, on the N.E. into a ramped entrance to the pit, 30 ft. wide.'

<3> Chaplin, C P, Various, Field Investigators Comments CC, F1 CC 10-FEB-78 (Unpublished document). SWX3450.

<4> Stone, J W, Field Investigators Comments JWS, F2 JWS 16-FEB-78 (Unpublished document). SDO11902.

<5> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 881776 RCHME: The `Bull Pit', Iwerne Courtney, Dorset (Index). SDO14738.

Bibliographic References : 1) Pt 1, Monument (17) not illustrated.

<6> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/096 RCHME Inventory: Dorset III (Central) (Unpublished document). SDO17384.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 206163 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 24 2022 3:03PM