Monument record MDO5110 - Enclosure on Blandford Down, Tarrant Monkton

A roughly circular enclosure around 450 feet in diameter on a flat part of Blandford Down. Thought to be of relatively modern date, one suggested interpretation of this feature was that it was associated with the former race course. However, it is shown on the 2nd epoch Ordnance Survey map, where it is described as 'Cricket Ground'. The earthwork is not shown on the 1st epoch Ordnance Survey map.

An undated enclosure situated at ST 913083, immediately S of the bowl barrow, occupies the
summit of a flat-topped chalk ridge, 370 ft above sea-level. Now largely destroyed, the earthwork was a circle 450 ft in diameter, bounded by a low scarp. It may be associated with the race-course formerly on Blandford Down, and probably is of recent date. <1>

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1972, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North), 110 (Monograph). SDO99.

'(25) Enclosure (913083), immediately S. of (22), occupies the summit of a flat-topped Chalk ridge, 370 ft. above sea-level. Now largely destroyed, the earthwork formerly was a circle 450 ft. in diameter, bounded by a low scarp. It may be associated with the race-course formerly on Blandford Down, and probably is of recent date.'

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1900, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch two (Map). SDO11594.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 209446 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 25 2023 9:32AM