Monument record MDO41645 - Possible post medieval extractive pit, Corfe Mullen

A possible post medieval extractive pit on open heathland at Corfe Mullen, is visible on 1940s aerial photographs. Similar features are visible across large parts of the Dorset heathland, typically situated within areas of both post medieval extraction and early 20th Century military activity. It is often hard to positively identify these small banked and ditched features with one or the other, although some are more clearly military in origin. This feature may be modern military in character; a weapons pit for example, but given an absence of similar features is considered more likely to be post medieval extraction. The feature was digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

A possible post medieval extractive pit on open heathland at Corfe Hills, Corfe Mullen, is visible on 1940s aerial photographs (1).

The feature comprises two crescentic 0.8m wide banks flanking a linear 3m by 0.8m hollow centre.

Similar features are visible across large parts of the Dorset heathland, typically situated within areas of both post medieval extraction and early 20th Century military activity. It is often hard to positively identify these small banked and ditched features with one or the other, although some are more clearly military in origin. This feature may be modern military in character; a weapons pit for example, but given an absence of similar features is considered more likely to be a post medieval extractive pit.

The site is under housing on current Google Earth imagery and the feature is no longer visible, presumed levelled. It was digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

<1> Royal Air Force, 05-SEP-47, RAF/CPE/UK/2289 Vp3 5291-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16203.

Record last edited

Sep 4 2018 11:41AM