Monument record MDO5041 - Enclosure on Blandford Down, Tarrant Launceston

An assymetric curvilinear enclosure is visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs. The enclosure sits within an area of additional linear cropmarks that may be boundaries and enclosures associated with a late prehistoric or Roman field system (MDO44555). The enclosure may be represent part of this wider field system, possibly associated with a later prehistoric/Roman settlement to the east on Blandford Down (MDO5040). The enclosure is recorded under NRHE Hob UID 1481077. It was digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM project.

A possible later Prehistoric settlement or group of fields is visible as soilmarks on aerial photographs. The site is centred at ST 9300 0943 and comprises an asymmetric curvilinear enclosure plus several other fragmentary ditches which suggest possible enclosures, some of which are conjoined. The site extends over an area that measures 235m east to west by up to 180m wide. The asymmetric curvilinear enclosure is centred at ST 9299 0946 and measures 72m long by 50m wide at its maximum points.

The fragmentary ditches suggest a pattern of enclosures flanking one later Prehistoric dyke (see ST 90 NW 173 / UID: 1481067) but another similar dyke feature appears to overlap with the possible enclosures (see ST 90 NW 175 / UID: 1481081). The enclosures may form a later Prehistoric settlement or perhaps fields. <1>

An assymetric curvilinear enclosure approximatley 75m by 52m is visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs <3>. The enclosure sits within an area of additional linear cropmarks that may be boundaries and enclosures associated with a late prehistoric or Roman field system (MDO44555). The enclosure may be represent part of this wider field system, possibly associated with a later prehistoric/Roman settlement to the east on Blandford Down (MDO5040). The enclosure was digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM project.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1972, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North), 106 (Monograph). SDO99.

<2> Bishop, Sharon, 2009, Tarrant Launceston 15 & Environs. Aerial Photograph Survey and Analysis (Unpublished document). SDO12459.

<2.1> 01-DEC-1965, CUCAP AMO1-AMO4 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19269.

<2.2> Boyden, J R, 25-MAR-1970, NMR ST 9309/5 JRB 9724/ORACLEF15 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19271.

<3> Jones, P J, 01-APR-1966, PJF 11361/ORACLE15 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18696.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1481077 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 20 2025 10:54AM