Monument record MDO4949 - Iron Age/Romano-British settlement, Tarrant Hinton and Chettle

Cropmarks of an Iron Age and Romano British settlement consisting of a banjo enclosure with pit clusters and a trackway. Finds of Iron Age and Roman pottery. The area has been levelled by cultivation. The main area is some 500ft by 200ft, with several enclosures surrounding it.

IRON AGE AND ROMANO-BRITISH SETTLEMENT (945126), on Tarrant Hinton Down in the N. of the parish, lies on the S.E. slope of a Chalk ridge, between 260 ft. and 340 ft. above sea-level; it has been levelled by cultivation. Air photographs and finds indicate that the main area of occupation is a strip of land, some 500 ft. by 200 ft., adjoining the parish boundary with Chettle. Immediately S. of this area is an approximately rectangular enclosure, 550 ft. by 250 ft., from the N.E. corner of which a narrow, parallel-sided way leads to a smaller oval enclosure, 320 ft. by 250 ft. It is probable that a third enclosure adjoins these on the S.E., and lengths of boundary dyke extend away from the settlement to the S.W. (apparently linking it with the Roman Road), and to the S.E. Pottery from the site is chiefly of late Iron Age or early Romano-British type, and later occupation is represented by 3rd and 4th-century flanged bowls and New Forest ware. <6, 8>

A large horse-shoe shaped depression at the N end of the settlement is listed by Allcroft as an amphitheatre or 'circus', similar to one on Chettle Down (see ST 91 SW 21) and others on Cranborne Chase. Barker says it was probably a pond. <2, 4>

Settlement similar to the Iron Age/Romano-British site on Gussage Down (ST 91 SE 12), but very ploughed down (see annotated plan). Three small sherds of coarse pottery and a thin scatter of calcined flints were found. No areas of darker earth were visible. <3>

Additional references, air photograph transcription plan and consideration of comparable sites. <9-10>

A rapid examination of air photography <11.1> shows the settlement as a banjo enclosure (with internal pit clusters and an internal enclosure to the north of the entrance) attached to a larger enclosure with a trackway extending off in the northwest and various smaller enclosures on the northeast. <11>

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1901 (Map). SWX1197.

(ST 942125) Dykes (NR) (ST 942126) Earthwork (NR)

<2> Royal Archaeological Institute, 1919, Archaeological Journal 76, 98-99, plan (A H Allcroft) (Serial). SDO18345.

<3> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 13-APR-54 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<4> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1961, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1960, 84 (Serial). SDO60.

<5> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(ST 945125) Settlement (NR)

<6> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1972, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North), 100 (Monograph). SDO99.

'(19) IRON AGE AND ROMANO-BRITISH SETTLEMENT (945126) on Tarrant Hinton Down in the N. of the parish, lies on the S.E. slope of a chalk ridge, between 260ft. And 340ft. Above sea-level; it has been levelled by cultivation. Air photographs (Plate 78; N.M.R., ST 9412/5-7) and finds, indicate that the main area of occupation is a strip of land, some 500ft. by 200ft., adjoining the parish boundary with Chettle. Immediately S. of this area is the N.E. corner of which a narrow, parallel-sided way leads to a smaller oval enclosure, 320ft. by 250ft. It is probable that a third enclosure adjoins these on the S.E. and lengths of boundary dyke extend away from the settlement to the S.W. (apparently linking it with the Roman road), and to the S.E. Pottery from the site is chiefly of late Iron Age or early Romano-British type, and later occupation is represented by 3rd and 4th-century flanged bowls and New Forest ware. (Sumner, Cranborne Chase, 42 and pl. xxi; Dorset Procs., 82(1960),84.).'

<6.1> National Monuments Record, NMR ST 9412/5-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19192.

<7> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/097 RCHME Inventory: Dorset IV (North) (Unpublished document). SDO17498.

<8> Boyden, J R, 1972, AP (Boyden 1972) (Aerial Photograph). SDO19191.

<9> Bowen, H C, 1990, The Archaeology of Bokerley Dyke, 93, Tarrant Hinton 19 (Monograph). SWX800.

<10> Bowen, H C, 1991, The Archaeology of Bokerley Dyke: Inventory, 25, Tarrant Hinton 19 (Monograph). SDO14864.

<11> Miller, Andrew, 1993, RCHME: AP Primary Recording Project, 27-JAN-1993 (Unpublished document). SWX1708.

<11.1> National Monuments Record, NMR 4349: 27-30 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19193.

<12> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 884757 (Index). SDO14738.

Object Title: Tarrant Hinton Down/survey.
Scope & Content: Survey of the earthworks from an Iron Age and Romano-British settlement. Inscription: Subtitled 'Chettle'Bibliographic References : 1) Monument.19.

<13> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BB86/05288 (Index). SDO14738.

Object Title: Location of IA/RB settlement indicated by air photos.

<14> National Record of the Historic Environment, 210211 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jul 29 2024 3:24PM