Monument record MDO4338 - Hollow ways, Spread Eagle Hill, Melbury Abbas

Well-defined hollow way cutting diagonally across the slopes of Spread Eagle Hill. It is probably the remains of an earlier route to Melbury Abbas, pre-dating the turnpike road. Two other minor hollow ways and other slight earthworks indicate the remains of othe little used routes across the slope.

One major, and two minor, hollow ways, which diagonally cut across the hill slope, are each significant earthworks. Centred at ST88591916 they probably pre-date the busy A350 route, which follows a similar, parallel line across the hill slope. Three slight linear scarps identified during the field survey in April 2000, adopt a similar cross-contour line and appear to indicate little used routes across the hill side. Clearly defined on APs and surveyed at 1:2500 scale. <1>

<1> English Heritage, Field Investigators Comments M Fletcher, Fletcher M 30-MAY-2000 English Heritage Field Investigation (Unpublished document). SDO17851.

<2> Fletcher, M, 2000, A Survey of the South Western part of Melbury Down, Melbury Abbas, Dorset, 2 (Unpublished document). SDO12416.

<3> Mahon, A, 1988, Hollow Way, Melbury Abbas (Verbal communication). SDO13176.

HOLLOW WAY (Obs. June 1988 A Mahon) Particularly well preserved between ST 8860 1933 - 8864 1900, but visible as earthwork elsewhere. Approximately 10 ft deep between these points. [copied from original record card, now discarded. P Bellamy 20/12/2013]

<4> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 1342633 (Index). SDO14738.

Melbury Down/Report

<5> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 1342635 (Index). SDO14738.

Melbury Down/Ink Survey

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AF1319215 (Index). SDO14738.

EH: Melbury Down, Dorset: The south western part of Melbury Down, owned by the National Trust comprises the steep north east facing slopes of a broad combe. The National Trust commissioned English Heritage, Exeter Field Survey Office, to undertake a survey of the area, (includes many earthworks) in March 2000Contents : 1 report, 1 drawing.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1319204 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 22 2022 3:43PM