Monument record MDO46035 - Round barrow south of Dairy House, Winterborne Kingston

One of at least 13 ring ditches, including a group of 6 which appear conjoined, are visible as cropmarks. A linear feature, probably later in date, passes close by them and appears to cut across other linears. A trapezoidal feature is also visible.

OS air photographs show cropmarks of a linear group of ring ditches, centred at SY 86579682. The overall diameters vary between 20.0 and 33.0 metres. One ring ditch is isolated, but in a line of five three are contiguous, with a further two overlapped (see 1:2500 plan). No traces are visible on the ground. <1>

Air photographs taken 15 April 2002 show considerably more detail. At least 13 ring ditches are now visible, as well as linear and trapezoidal features. Details as follows, beginning with the group described above: A line of six seemingly conjoined or overlapping ring ditches, west to east as follows:

(7) … lies 40m ESE of (6) and lies on a straight line extended from the alignment of (5) and (6). It appears to have a smaller ring ditch (8) conjoined to its NW side, centred at SY 86609683, and measuring circa 12 metres in diameter, although the cropmarks are quite indistinct.

In addition, other arcs of ditch are occasionally visible, some of which may represent traces of further ring ditches. A linear feature, possibly a heavily worn track or a ditch, crosses the field containing the ring ditches and appears to follow an irregular broadly ESE-WNW course immediately to the north of ring ditches (1)-(7). Note that all confirmed ring ditches lie to the south of this feature, which clearly post-dates the ring ditches. Other linear features are also visible, including a ditched feature bisected by the above linear and which appears at one point to feature a substantial entrance/causeway. 80 metres north of ring ditch (3) is a trapezoidal feature, aligned roughly NNW-SSW, centred at circa SY 86519698, and measuring circa 46 metres long and up to 30 metres wide. Its broader end, which appears open, is to the north. It appears to be overlain by a smaller trapezoidal feature, but some internal features, possibly pits, appear to follow the alignment of the main enclosure. <2>

<1> Attrill, N J, Field Investigators Comments NJA, F1 NJA 21-JAN-81 (Unpublished document). SDO14743.

<1.1> Ordnance Survey, 18-APR-1980, OS 80/021 167-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19645.

<2> 15-APR-2002, NMR 21626/14 SY 8696/5 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19693.

<3> GetMapping, 2005, Digital vertical aerial photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDO12563.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 455823 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 27 2023 11:13AM