Monument record MDO45465 - Iron Age and Romano-British settlement by Castle Hill, Cranborne

Earthworks of trackways, supposedly indicative of Iron Age and Romano-British settlement; though possibly the remains of a trackway to gravel workings. The settlement site has been destroyed by the gravel quarry.

[SU 0600 1256] Earthworks [OE]. <1>

Ro pottery found near entrance to castle.
The low earthworks on the south side of the CASTLE [Dorset 16 NW 24] have been partly obliterated by recent digging for gravel, but they may belong to an earlier British occupation of the site. <2-3>

[See Dorset 16 NW 26] Situated on a hill top and in downland the earthwork is a typical bi-vallate roadway common to IA/RB settlements in this part of Dorset. It is much mutilated and from 'A'-'B' is covered with thick growth which makes its form doubtful along this portion - here it is much destroyed by rabbits. In the area centred at 'C' [SU 05971259] some AB sherds were found particularly in the North West of the area. <4>

It is noteworthy that the trackways lead to old gravel workings. These workings may have obliterated traces of any settlement, but the evidence of an R.B. settlement is by no means conclusive: e.g. possibly a Md. occupation area connected with the CASTLE HILL site.
No R.B. pottery [T3] was seen. <5>

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

<2> Anon, Undated, Pte 6 inch Dorset County Museum (Anon undated) (Map). SWX2203.

<3> Sumner, H, The Ancient Earthworks of Cranborne Chase, 50-51 plan (Monograph). SDO16661.

<4> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 25-MAY-54 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<5> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F2 NVQ 06-JUL-54 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 1094305 (Index). SDO14738.

Object Title: SU 01 SE 13 (1954). Scope & Content: Index card. Includes profile Antiquity Model: Surveyed.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 213660 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 6 2023 9:37AM