Monument record MDO44831 - Possible Neolithic Henge, Tarrant Monkton

A sub-oval ring ditch is visible as a cropmark to the west of Tarrant Monkton on aerial photographs. The feature is recorded under NRHE Hob UID 1478925 as a possible Neolithic Henge. It was digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM project.

A probable Bronze Age round barrow is visible as a soilmark on aerial photographs. The site is centred at ST 9421 0872 and is defined by an incomplete ring ditch which nearly encloses an oval area measuring a maximum of 20m in diameter, with a break or possible entrance to the north-east.

The size and shape of the curvilinear enclosure suggest that it could be the plough levelled remains of a Bronze Age round barrow, several of which are known in this area. There is no sign of any barrow mound or other internal feature such as a funerary deposit. <1>

The monument in Higgins Field, Tarrant Monkton is a possible Late Neolithic Henge (and not a Bronze Age barrow as suggested by authority 1). A resistivity survey was carried out in 2003 by members of the East Dorset Antiquarian Society (EDAS) and Jeremy Webster (Dphil candidate Winchester University).

The monument is centred on ST 942 087. It is half way up a northeast-facing slope with a view down into the Tarrant valley. Excavation by EDAS took place Summer 2005. The monument is 22m (internal diameter) by 18m. These dimensions straddle the definition for a henge/hengi-form (Darvill 1989). An external bank was indicated by the natural chalk surface appearing relatively protected from frost and other actions beneath where the bank would have lain. An entrance from the north east is c. 5m wide. There is the possibility of a previous second entrance opposite, which needs to be investigated in future excavations. The ditch has an average width of 3.40 m and depth of 1.40m. The profile is near vertical sided with a flat base. The infilling suggests erosion soon after construction, as a shallow fill of organic-rich material with grooved ware pottery, animal and struck flint lay directly on the flat bedrock chalk base. Further fills dated to the later Neolithic and the final fill had pottery of a Bronze Age date. The eastern terminus and two of the three ditch interventions had deposits of dark ashy midden material containing a high concentration of artefacts and burnt flint.
Within the enclosure are two groups of post holes. At the northern end is a row of three shallow pits or postholes spaced at 2m intervals (0.08-0.3m deep and c. 1m diameter). More centrally are seven postholes in a v-shape, with roughly two parallel rows of three holes (0.8m diameter, 0.5 m deep) converging towards an apex hole at the northeast end (0.5 m diameter 0.16m deep). All the postholes had evidence of chalk post packing and several produced grooved ware pottery.

Finds all dated to the later Neolithic (except tertiary fills of Bronze Age date). These comprised grooved ware pottery, flint scrapers, arrow heads (one made of Portland chert), saw blades and other tools, partial finger-ring of shale, burnt flint, animal bone (pig, cow and row deer antler) and sea mollusc shells (tidal and deep water species). An incised chalk ‘plaque’ (5 cm x 1.5 cm thick) was recovered from the fill of the ditch terminus. Incised decoration, similar to that seen on grooved ware pottery, covers one face and extends down one edge. <2>

A sub-oval ring ditch is visible as a cropmark to the west of Tarrant Monkton on aerial photographs <3>. The feature comprises a sub-oval ring ditch between 2m and 3m in width with interior dimensions 22m by 18m, and a gap on its northeast side, which may be an entranceway. No bank is discernable on aerial photographs but the feature is recorded under NRHE Hob UID 1478925 as a possible Neolithic Henge, with excavations indicating the presence of an outer bank and having recovered Middle and Late Neolithic pottery from the lower fills of the ditch, Bronze Age pottery from the upper fill (see NRHE record). The feature was digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM project.

<1> Bishop, Sharon, 2009, Tarrant Launceston 15 & Environs. Aerial Photograph Survey & Analysis (Unpublished document). SDO12459.

<1.1> 28-MAR-1968, NMR ST 9308/4 NMR 68/41-42 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19280.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 2007, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 2006, 128-129 (Serial). SDO12292.

<3> John Boyden, 08-JUL-1976, JRB 3306/8 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18871.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1478925 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 30 2023 3:50PM