Monument record MDO4564 - Iron Age settlement on Pimperne Down, Pimperne

An Iron Age bank and ditched enclosure, roughly oval in shape, and enclosing an area of approximately 11.5 acres. The monument has been disturbed by later activity such as ploughing and it is crossed by the Stourpaine road, but excavation has shown that there were entrances on the south and east sides, and another entrance on the northern side of the enclosure has been indicated by geophysical survey. The enclosure is visible as cropmarks and earthworks on aerial photographs and lidar imagery and was digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM Project. The record for this monument has been enhanced with support from Wessex Water.

IRON AGE SETTLEMENT (891097), on Pimperne Down, excavated in 1960-3 by I. M. Blake and D. W. Harding, lies about 350 ft. above O.D. on a gentle S.E. slope near the summit of a N.-S. Chalk ridge. The settlement comprises an oval, univallate enclosure of 11 1/2 acres, bisected by the Pimperne-Stourpaine road and for the greater part visible only on air photographs. Until recently the N.E. sector survived unploughed and it was there that excavations were largely concentrated.

The excavations indicate early Iron Age occupation, with Second or late First 'A' culture. The bank survived to a height of 1 ft. to 1 1/2 ft. in the N.E. sector. The ditch was initially of shallow 'V' profile, becoming steeper towards a narrow, flat bottom, and reaching a depth of 5 ft. to 6 ft. below present ground level.

N. of the entrance the ditch had been refilled shortly after construction, and it had been sealed by a closely-packed flint capping beneath which was found a human femur and the right half of a human skull.

Excavation of the S. entrance revealed three post-holes spanning the entrance causeway, one of them of adequate size for a post to sustain a gate. The ditch system of the S. entrance was more complex than that on the E. The main enclosure ditch on the S.W. side of the causeway was intersected by a shallower ditch which led outwards from the camp to a secondary enclosure on the S.E. This 'antenna' ditch was not of defensive proportions and more probably served to guide cattle into the camp from the secondary enclosure. At least three major structural phases were represented. Within the butt end of the main enclosure ditch, adjacent to its intersection with the 'antenna' ditch, were found the semi-articulated remains of part of a horse and the skull of an ox, together with two small rectangular chalk lamps. Taken in conjunction with human remains at the E. entrance, there are grounds for supposing that these were deliberate deposits, chosen with regard to the respective functions of each entrance.

Inside the settlement the principal discovery was the remains of a circular timber house. It consisted essentially of two concentric circles of post-holes. The inner circle, 32 ft. in diameter, must have been for the main supports of the roof since there was no central post-hole or group of holes. The outer circle, 42 ft. in diameter, was composed of smaller stake-holes cut not more than 9 ins. into the chalk; it probably retained a wall of woven saplings. A larger and less continuous circle of shallow scoops and irregular holes may have held external supports for the walls and roof rafters.

Occupation was clearly in two principal phases, in the second of which the house was completely rebuilt, although the same porched entrance served both phases. A baked clay hearth was located within the house, together with a number of shallow post-holes, the latter probably associated with domestic appliances such as looms or drying racks.

Small finds included a bronze finger-ring, two iron arrowheads and several fragments of shale bracelets. Pottery included coarse-ware shouldered jars with finger-tip ornament and some haematite-coated bowls. The occupation of the site should most probably be assigned to the 5th century B.C., but insufficient stratified material was available to supply a satisfactory chronology of the structural phases represented. <2>

The enclosure is visible as cropmarks and earthworks on aerial photographs and lidar imagery and was digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM Project [32-36]. The enclosure appears to be formed by a ditch and two banks; it's internal dimensions are 290m by 188m. Outside it's eastern side is a curved multi ditch and banked feature which may be a multivallate annex, or associated with the adjacent field system (MDO4586).

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey map 1:10,560, 1969 (Map). SDO18658.

(ST 891097) Enclosure

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1972, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North), 54-55 (Monograph). SDO99.

'(15) IRON AGE SETTLEMENT (891097), on Pimperne Down, excavated in 1960-3 by I. M. Blake and D. W. Harding, lies about 350 ft. above O.E. on a gentle S.E. slope near the summit of a N.-S. Chalk ridge. The settlement comprises an oval, univallate enclosure of 11½ acres, bisected by the Pimperne-Stourpaine road and for the greater part visible only on air photographs. Until recently the N.E. sector survived un-ploughed and it was there that excavations were largely concentrated. 'Celtic' fields (Group (73)) adjoin the enclosure on the N.E. and a smaller enclosure (16) lies immediately S. of it. The excavations indicate early Iron Age occupation, with Second or late First 'A' culture. The bank survived to a height of 1 ft. to 1½ ft. in the N.E. sector. The ditch was initially of shallow 'V' profile, becoming steeper towards a narrow, flat bottom, and reaching a depth of 5 ft. to 6 ft. below present ground level. Two entrances to the enclosure were demonstrated. Excavation of the E. entrance revealed a parallel line of post-holes, 8 ft. apart, which extended a little over 20 ft. into the interior of the camp from the causeway between the ditch terminals. Re-cutting of the post-holes indicated that the entrance passageway had been reinforced or rebuilt in a second phase of construction. The ditch on both sides of the entrance was flat-bottomed, with nearly vertical sides, but on the southern side of the gateway a rubbish pit, into which quantities of animal bones had been thrown, had been cut into the ditch after its initial silting. N. of the entrance the ditch had been refilled shortly after construction, and it had been sealed by a closely-packed flint capping beneath which was found a human femur and the right half of a human skull.

Excavation of the S. entrance revealed three post-holes spanning the entrance causeway, one of them of adequate size for a post to sustain a gate. The ditch system of the S. entrance was more complex than that on the E. The main enclosure ditch on the S.W. side of the causeway was intersected by a shallower ditch which led outwards from the camp to a secondary enclosure (16) on the S.E. This 'antenna' ditch was not of defensive proportions and more probably served to guide cattle into the camp from the secondary enclosure. At least three major structural phases were represented. Within the butt end of the main enclosure ditch, adjacent to its intersection with the 'antenna' ditch, were found the semi-articulated remains of part of a horse and the skull of an ox, together with two small rectangular chalk lamps. Taken in conjunction with human remains at the E. entrance, there are grounds for supposing that these were deliberate deposits, chosen with regard to the respective functions of each entrance.

The existence of an entrance on the N. side of the camp was indicated in 1963 by magnetometer survey, but no excavations took place in this area.

Inside the settlements the principal discovery was the remains of a circular timber house (Plate 55). It consisted essentially of two concentric circles of post-holes. The inncer circle, 32 ft. in diameter, must hav ebene for the main supports of the roof since there was no central post-hole or group of holes. The outer circle, 42 ft. in diameter, was composed of smaller stake holes cut nor more than 9 ins. into the chalk ; it probably retained a wall of woven saplings. A larger and less continuous circle of shallow scoops and irregular holes may have held external supports for the walls and roof rafters.

Occupation was clearly in two principal phases, in the second of which the house was completely rebuilt, although the same porched entrance served both phases. A baked clay hearth was located within the house, together with a number of hallow post-holes, the latter probably associated with domestic appliances such as looms or drying racks.

Small finds included a bronze finger-ring, two iron arrow-heads, and several fragments of shale bracelets. Pottery included coarse-ware shouldered jars with finger tip ornament and some haematite coated bowls. The occupation of the site should most probably be assigned to the 5th century B.C., but insufficient stratified material was available to supply a satisfactory chronology of the structural phases represented.'

<3> Harding, D W, Blake, I M and Reynolds, P J, 1993, An Iron Age Settlement in Dorset; Excavation and Reconstruction, 1 (Article in monograph). SDO12422.

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

'PIMPERNE DOWN [ST891097] Iron Age 'A' enclosure, of 11½ acres, with single bank and external ditch; containing at least one house of Little Woodbury type. Excavation by D. W. Harding.’

<4> Harding, D W, Blake, I M and Reynolds, P J, 1993, An Iron Age Settlement in Dorset; Excavation and Reconstruction (Article in monograph). SDO12422.

<5> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1961, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1960, 84 (Serial). SDO60.

'Pimperne Down; O.S. ref. ST 891093 (centre). Only a fragment now remains of the bank of what must have been a settlement enclosure comparable to others in the Chase. This was exposed by turf-cutters, and revealed a large number of 'pot-boilers' and a handful of sherds, one of which is Romano-British; the others, of coarse reddish-brown ware containing large flint grits, may also be Romano-British, but this is not certain. The most interesting object, however, was a baked clay bead, reddish-brown in colour, and rather roughly made. A large part of the rest of the site lay under arable, but apart from two small Romano-British sherds, this only revealed the usual tell-tale scatter of 'pot-boilers'.'

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, RCH01/097 (Index). SDO14738.

Inventory: Dorset IV (North): The collection contains original material and publication proofs relating to the RCHME Inventory for Dorset, Volume IV, 1972. The material includes field notes, surveys and excavation notes.

<7> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 883014 (Index). SDO14738.

Pimperne Camp/profile: North and South profiles of entrance ditch. The name P. Fowler is supplied.

<8> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 883036 (Index). SDO14738.

Pimperne Camp/profile: 2 ditch profiles, labelled cuttings 1 & 2.Bibliographic References : 1) Monument No. 15

<9> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 883243 (Index). SDO14738.

Pimperne Camp/Excavation plan: Two plans of the excavated features within the East enclosure entrance. Plans show initial and later phase of development.Bibliographic References : 1) Monument No.15

<10> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 883382 (Index). SDO14738.

Pimperne Camp/excavation plan: Bibliographic References : 1) Monument No.15

<11> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 883397 (Index). SDO14738.

Pimperne Camp/excavation plan: Pimperne Camp/excavation plan

<12> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 883596 (Index). SDO14738.

Pimperne Camp/survey: Plan of earthworks and excavation trenches from the Iron Age enclosure.Bibliographic References : 1) Monument No. 15

<13> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 883856 (Index). SDO14738.

Pimperne Camp/survey: Preliminary plan of Iron Age enclosure, including earthworks, excavation trenches and relative features. Plan in two parts taped together. Discoloured and slightly torn.Bibliographic References : 1) Monument.15

<14> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 883872 (Index). SDO14738.

Pimperne Camp/survey: Brief outline of site and surrounding features.Bibliographic References : 1) Monument No.15

<15> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 883894 (Index). SDO14738.

Pimperne Hut/excavation plan: Partially excavated plans of Pimperne round house, within Pimperne Iron Age enclosure.Bibliographic References : 1) Monument 15

<16> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 883911 (Index). SDO14738.

Pimperne Hut/excavation: Dyeline print of Pimperne round house, with annotated excavation features in pencil.

<17> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA71/05991 (Index). SDO14738.

POST HOLE 6

<18> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA81/01301 (Index). SDO14738.

EAST GATEWAY FROM SOUTH

<19> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA81/01302 (Index). SDO14738.

CUTTING 3 - NORTH-EAST EXTENSION OVER DITCH, NORTH-WEST FACE

<20> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA81/01303 (Index). SDO14738.

EAST GATEWAY - DITCH AND SECTION ON NORTH SIDE FROM SOUTH

<21> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA81/01304 (Index). SDO14738.

EAST GATEWAY - DITCH END AND SECTION, SOUTH SIDE

<22> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA81/01305 (Index). SDO14738.

CUTTING 2 - SOUTH FACE, DITCH SECTION

<23> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA81/01306 (Index). SDO14738.

CUTTING 3 - NORTH-EAST EXTERIOR OVER OUTER BANK, SE FACE

<24> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BB80/03709 (Index). SDO14738.

DITCH, NORTH-EAST OF ENTRANCE

<25> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BB82/01294 (Index). SDO14738.

PLAN OF EARLY IRON AGE ENCLOSED SETTLEMENT

<26> Historic England, Historic England Archive, CC74/00390 (Index). SDO14738.

EAST GATEWAY FROM EXTERIOR (TO EAST). RANGING POLES IN POST HOLES OF PHASE II ENTRANCE

<27> Historic England, Historic England Archive, CC74/00391 (Index). SDO14738.

<28> Historic England, Historic England Archive, CC74/00392 (Index). SDO14738.

<29> Historic England, Historic England Archive, CC74/00393 (Index). SDO14738.

<30> Historic England, Historic England Archive, RCH01/097 (Index). SDO14738.

<31> National Record of the Historic Environment, 205413 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<32> Environment Agency, 16-NOV-2021, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO18034.

<33> Ordnance Survey, 13-APR-1984, OS/84023 V 23 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18945.

<34> National Monuments Record, 08-MAR-1968, NMR 62/306 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18950.

<35> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-1947, RAF CPE/UK/1975 4012 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18941.

<36> National Monuments Record, 22-JUN-2001, NMR 21252/11 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18880.

Record last edited

Nov 30 2022 3:32PM