Monument record MDO44548 - Iron Age or Romano-British oval enclosure, Gussage All Saints

A probable Iron Age or Romano-British enclosure. Ordnance Survey field investigation in 1954 noted uneven ground and fragments of banks, plus several hollows. Burrowing animals had exposed calcined flints, a few Iron Age potsherds and a large quantity of Roman sherds. Subsequently the site was identified as a cropmark on air photographs as an ovoid enclosure with a possible southwest-facing entrance. Circa 0.6 hectares in area, abundant Late Iron Age surface finds have been reported. The enclosure is located on the fringe of 'Celtic' field systems and is immediately adjacent to the Ackling Dyke Roman road - the enclosure's apparently necked entrance faces the line of the road.

The site of a probable Iron Age/Romano-British settlement is centred at SU 00081291. The ground is uneven and there are fragments of banks forming no surveyable plan. There are several hollows, approximately 4.0m in diameter and 0.2m in depth, possibly storage pits. The area lies on the highest part of virgin downland, on the fringe of 'Celtic' field systems and alongside a Roman road. The soil is dark and much burrowed by rabbits and moles. The majority of flints exposed, a considerable number, were calcined. A few Iron Age sherds and a large number of Romano-British sherds were found in the molehills. <1>

Gussage All Saints 63. SU 001129. Ovoid or necked enclosure, area 0.6ha. Discovered by Mr M Green; abundant late Iron Age surface finds. <4>

The feature at SU 00031288, shown as a mound on the 1902 edition of the OS 6" is now a T-shaped hollow. [Note: This relates to MDO44544].

Note that two features previously identified as possible barrows (SU 01 SW 9 and 128) have, since recognition of the enclosure's existence, been considered as more likely to be associated with the enclosure. [Note; this relates to MDO5546 and MDO44544].

<1> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 07-APR-54 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<2> Historic England, Historic England Archive, Object Number: RCH01/091 (Index). SDO14738.

<3> Bowen, H C, 1990, The Archaeology of Bokerley Dyke, Gussage All Saints 63 (Monograph). SWX800.

<4> Bowen, H C, 1991, The Archaeology of Bokerley Dyke: Inventory, 27, Gussage All Saints 63 (Monograph). SDO14864.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 213823 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 19 2022 4:50PM