Monument record MDO47590 - Eastern cross dyke, Hambledon Hill, Child Okeford

A ploughed out Neolithic causewayed double cross-dyke on Hambledon Hill. Two, and possibly all three, of the spurs which joined the central domed summit of Hambledon Hill are "re-inforced" by double cross-dykes. The superficial form of the cross dykes and their excavated profiles are similar to those of the main causewayed enclosure. Excavation by Bonney (1958-60) and Mercer (1974-86) confirmed the Neolithic dating and causewayed nature. Their initial creation may well have been contemporary with the main causewayed enclosure. The earthworks on Hambledon Hill were surveyed by RCHME in 1996. The eastern cross-dyke is now only visible on the ground as an intermittent and vestigial scarp, together with a pale soil mark along the line of the bank. However, the form of the earthwork was recorded during an earlier RCHME survey in 1959, prior to the commencement of modern ploughing on the hill. Then, the earthwork extended roughly north-south for about 280 metres across the Shroton Spur in a gentle arc, echoing the eastern corner of the main causewayed enclosure, and separated from it by a distance of about 25 metres. It comprised a double bank and ditch, similar to the southern cross-dyke but with no evidence for a counterscarp bank.

(ST 8510 1225 - 8505 1242) Between late May and late August 1996 the Cambridge and Exeter offices of RCHME carried out an earthwork survey and aerial photographic interpretation of the complex of monuments on Hambledon Hill as part of the project to record Industry and Enclosure in the Neolithic period. The `eastern cross-dyke', formerly recorded as part of the main causewayed enclosure (ST 81 SW 17), was assigned a new NMR number to enhance the record.
A ploughed out Neolithic causewayed double cross-dyke on Hambledon Hill. Two,and possibly all three, of the spurs which joined the central domed summit of Hambledon Hill are "re-inforced" by double cross-dykes. The superficial form of the cross dykes and their excavated profiles are similar to those of the main causewayed enclosure (ST 81 SW 17). Excavation by Bonney (1958-60) and Mercer (1974-86) confirmed the Neolithic dating and causewayed nature. Their initial creation may well have been contemporary with the main causewayed enclosure.
See the parent record (ST 81 SW 17) and the archive report for full details. The eastern cross-dyke is now only visible on the ground as an intermittent and vestigial scarp, together with a pale soil mark along the line of the bank. However, the form of the earthwork was recorded during an earlier RCHME survey in 1959, prior to the commencement of modern ploughing on the hill. Then, the earthwork extended roughly north-south for about 280 metres across the Shroton Spur in a gentle arc, echoing the eastern corner of the main causewayed enclosure, and separated from it by a distance of about 25 metres. It comprised a double bank and ditch, similar to the southern cross-dyke (ST 81 SW 63) but with no evidence for a counterscarp bank. (1)

A full description and analysis of the investigations at Hambledon Hill is presented in this publication. (2)

<1> Mercer, R, and Healy, F, 2008, Hambledon Hill, Dorset, England. Excavation and survey of a Neolithic monument complex and its surrounding landscape, 106-121, 401 (Monograph). SDO13474.

<2> RCHME: Industry and Enclosure in the Neolithic (Monograph). SWX1665.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1058086 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 23 2025 10:27AM