Monument record MDO4531 - Cross dyke on Okeford Hill, Okeford Fitzpaine

A cross dyke across the base of a spur. In 1970 this monument was recorded as being an earthwork bank around 30 feet wide, 6 feet high and 285 yards long with a ditch 27 feet wide and 4 feet deep. A causeway crosses the dyke near the centre, and is thought to be original.

ST 81580969 to ST 81800958 Cross-dyke curving N.W.E. at over 600 ft. above O.D. across the base of a spur sloping N.N.E., faces up the rounded spur top towards higher ground and is some 285 yds. long. The bank is 30 ft. wide and 6 ft. high; the ditch is 27 ft. wide and 4 ft. deep. An entrance, possibly original and slightly staggered, crossed by the parish boundary with Shillingstone, occurs E. of the centre; it has a causeway across the ditch, though a way past the W. end and possibly also the E. end is conceivable. At either end the dyke runs out just short of the shoulder of the spur. 'Celtic' fields (ST 80 NW 6) lie on either side of the dyke and one long lynchet is crossed by the bank and cut by the ditch. <2>

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey map 1:10,560, 1968 (Map). SDO18658.

(ST 81580968-ST 81780958) Earthwork

<2> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 207 (Monograph). SDO136.

‘(42) Cross-dyke (81580969-81809958), curving N.W.-E. at over 600 ft. above O.D. across the base of a spur sloping N.N.E., faces up the rounded spur top towards higher ground and is some 285 yds. long. The bank is 30 ft. wide and 6 ft. high; the ditch is 27 ft. wide and 4 ft. deep. An entrance, possibly original and slightly staggered, crossed by the parish boundary with Shillingstone, occurs E. of centre; it has a causeway across the ditch, though a way past the W. end and possibly also the El end is conceivable. At either end the dyke runs out just short of the shoulder of the spur. ‘Celtic’ fields (Group 57) lie on either side of the dyke and one long lynchet is crossed by the bank and cut by the ditch.’

<3> DCMS, 1999, Scheduled Monument Notification 1999, 07-JUL-1999 (Scheduling record). SDO17351.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1963, Monuments Threatened or Destroyed. A Select List: 1956-1962, 14 (Monograph). SDO12558.

'OKEFORD HILL [ST 817097] Cross-dyke, 850 ft. long, with entrance, cutting off promontory area of about 8 acres; lying over 'Celtic' fields, which formerly covered promontory.'

<5> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AO55/184/5 (Index). SDO14738.

POSSIBLE UNFINISHED IA PROMONTARY FORT OR CROSS-RIDGE DYKE ONE OF A STEREO PAIR. VIEW FROM SOUTH-EAST OF THE ENTRANCE

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS55/F184/5 (Index). SDO14738.

CROSS DYKE AT OKEFORD FITZPAINE. EARTHWORK FROM SOUTH EAST OF ENTRANCE.

<7> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS55/F184/6 (Index). SDO14738.

CROSS DYKE AT OKEFORD FITZPAINE. EARTHWORK FROM SOUTH EAST OF ENTRANCE.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 205545 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 27 2024 5:33PM