Monument record MDO4455 - Terraces in Pigeon House Plantation, Milton Abbas

Two artificial terraces recorded as being 400 yards long and 20 to 60 yards wide, bounded by scarps up to 21 feet high, sinuous and with square ends. Well preserved and crisply defined, suggesting that they have never been ploughed. The terraces are older than St Catherine’s chapel, built in the late twelfth century, which stands upon them. It has been suggested that the terraces may have been a vineyard or were for growing some other special crop connected with the monastery.

St Catherine's Chapel, Milton Abbas stands in a small intrenchment, too large for a chapel yard. The register of Milton notes that Athelstan (925-941 AD) encamped here, and the earthworks may have been constructed on this occasion. There is a double rampart on the east and north; the lowest at the north end. On the east is a shallow ditch but on the south there is neither rampart nor ditch.<2>
A crude parallelogram-shaped, possible Saxon, surrounding St Catherine's Chapel consists of a double bank and ditch on the south but elsewhere by a single bank and ditch. The longer sides are about 112 yards on the east and west whilst it measures 51 yards on the north and 62 yards on the south side. There appears to have been an entrance at the south east and north east corners. On the north side is an annexed enclosure, about 40 yards in extent. <3>
This earthwork is a double lynchet trackway, 8.0m. wide, with lynchets 2.5m. wide and 0.6m. high. It extends in a north-south direction for 80.0m. and then turns towards the south west for 25.0m. There are numerous irregular lynchets in the dense woodland, and these would appear to be of Iron Age/Romano-British type and not Medieval, the full extent is difficult to define because of heavy undergrowth by lynchets are from 0.5m. to 1.5m. high. <4>
Artificial terraces (ST 801023), of unknown purpose, lie in Pigeon House Plantations, on a south west facing slope. Two terraces, 400 yards long and sinuous on plan, are from 20 yards to 60 yards wide and are bounded by scarps up to 21ft high. Where they are preserved the ends are square; this, together with the sinuous plan and the general appearance of the monument, suggests that the terraces have never been ploughed. The Chapel of St Catherine stands on the lower terrace, proving that the terraces are earlier than the late 12th century; they may have been a vineyard or perhaps were for the cultivation of some other special crop connected with the monastery. <5>

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

(Centred ST 801023) Intrenchment (NR)

<2> Hutchins, J, 1873, The history and antiquities of the County of Dorset. Volume 4. 3rd edition, 409 (Monograph). SDO10245.

<3> Warne, C, 1872, Ancient Dorset (2nd Edition), 255-56 (Monograph). SWX1971.

<3> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 30-AUG-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<5> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 199 (Monograph). SDO136.

‘(24) ARTIFICIAL TERRACES (801023), of unknown purpose, lie in the Pigeon House Plantation 300 yds. E. of (1), on a S.W.-facing slope. Two terraces, 400 yds. long and sinuous on plan, are from 20 yds. to 60 yds. wide and are bounded by scarps up to 21 ft. high. Where they are preserved the ends are square; this, together with the sinuous plan and the general appearance of the monument suggests that the terraces have never been ploughed. The Chapel of St. Catherine (3) stands on the lower terrace, proving that the terraces are earlier than the late 12th century; they may have been a vineyard or perhaps were for the cultivation of some special crop connected with the monastery.’

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 205754 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 18 2022 1:40PM