Monument record MDO41308 - Probable modern bomb craters, West Parley, Ferndown Town

Five small sub-circular ditched and banked features on heathland to the west of West Parley are visible on aerial photographs and current Lidar imagery. The features form a loose north to south-aligned row of pits, three of which were filled with water in 1945. They are considered likely to be modern World War Two bomb craters. The features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

A series of small sub-circular ditched and banked features on the edge of heathland to the west of West Parley are visible on aerial photographs (1).

The features comprise a loose north to south-aligned row of five pits, three of which were filled with water in 1945 (1). These range in size from 6.8m to 10.9m in diameter. There is evidence of upcast earth around the features that may have been formed by explosive action. The features are considered likely to be wartime bomb craters.

The site is under trees on current Google Earth imagery and the features are not visible, although the northernmost three of the group are visible as shallow depressions on current Lidar imagery (2). The features were digitally plotted from aerial photographs by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

<1> Royal Air Force, 20-MAR-45, RAF/106G/LA/187 RP 3044-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16091.

<2> XX-XXX-2015, Environment Agency DTM Lidar 1m (Aerial Photograph). SDO15442.

Record last edited

Jul 24 2018 2:03PM