Monument record MDO43583 - Pit dwellings, Shillingstone

Alleged pit dwellings - probable swallow holes.

Fine examples of 'British pit dwellings occur on 'Bondsleigh' (Bonsley).<2>

These possible hut sites were under crops and consequently not investigated during field work. Warne's identification of 'Pit Dwellings' was not particularly reliable, and these may not be antiquities, although the position, and the Iron Age/Romano- British field system could indicate habitation in the area. Further sites occur to the north and are dealt with on ST 80 NW 4, but in that instance the pits are shown (on the OS 6" 1902) with outer banks, more suggestive of hut circles. <3>

The crops in this portion of the field had recently been cleared. The pits are low, shallow, oval depressions - almost certainly incipient swallow holes. There was no trace of enclosures. <4>

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1902 (Map). SWX1540.

('A' ST 81890892; 'B' ST 82150891; 'C' 82080877; 'D' ST 81960881) Pit (NR) (At four places).

<2> Warne, C, 1862, Ancient Dorset (1st Edition), 14 (Monograph). SWX3049.

<3> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 16-AUG-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<4> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F2 JR 24-AUG-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 205565 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 10 2022 9:44AM