Monument record MDO41207 - Possible wartime military training area , Canford Heath, Poole

A loose cluster of small sub-circular earthworks on Canford Heath are visible on 1940s aerial photographs. The features may be small dug-outs or enclosures associated with an area of possible wartime military training activity. They were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

A loose cluster of small sub-circular earthworks on Knighton Heath are visible on 1940s aerial photographs (1).

The features comprise two large sub-circular earthworks between 4m and 6m in diameter; a smaller sub-circular earthwork to the east of these, 2.2m in diameter and a sub-rectangular 7.5m by 4m ditched hollow to the west of one of the large sub-circular earthworks. The features are lcoated on the side or crest of low rises of ground on Canford Heath. The features may be military in origin, perhaps small dug-outs or foxholes or defensive enclosures of some description. The features may be associated with an area of possible wartime military training activity; there are further groups of similar features spread across the heathland to the northeast and southeast. Alternatively it is possible the features are associated with post medieval extraction, of which there is also an abundance in this area.

The site is under trees on current Google Earth imagery and the features are no longer visible. The features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP.

<1> Royal Air Force, 12-DEC-46, RAF/CPE/UK/1893 RS 4199-200 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16059.

Record last edited

Jan 6 2020 10:43AM