Monument record MDO42931 - Possible post medieval chalk pit, Shearplace Hill, Sydling St Nicholas

A large sub-oval ditched and banked feature is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs on Shearplace Hill, Sydling St Nicholas. The feature may be a post medieval chalk pit. It is situated close to the site of late prehistoric settlement (MDO42932; Hob UID453117) and it is possible it may alternatively be an enclosure associated with this, but this is less certain. The feature was digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Frome AIM project.

A large sub-oval ditched and banked feature is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs on Shearplace Hill, Sydling St Nicholas (1, 2). The feature appears to comprise a sub-oval interior ditch approximately 21m long by 13.5m wide. A possible 6m wide bank appears to contain this (1).

The feature is situated within an area of post medieval chalk pits and may be a larger example of a chalk or extractive pit. It is also situated close to the site of late prehistoric settlement (MDO42932; Hob UID453117) and it is possible it may alternatively be an enclosure associated with this, but this is less certain. The feature was digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Frome AIM project.

The feature is also clearly visible as a cropmark on 2017 Google Earth imagery (3).

<1> Royal Air Force, 11-NOV-71, RAF/39/3829 V 0035-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16887.

<2> John Boyden, JAN 69, SY6498/4 (JRB108/21) (Aerial Photograph). SDO16886.

<3> Google Earth, xx-xx-2017, Google Earth imagery 2017 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16871.

Record last edited

Nov 24 2020 2:31PM