Monument record MDO5180 - Enclosure on Ringmoor, Turnworth

Iron Age and Romano British settlement consisting of enclosures, ditches and trackways. An area of later prehistoric settlement on Ringmoor is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and current Environment Agency lidar imagery. The settlement is surrounded by a later prehistoric field system (MDO5181) and parts of the settlement potentially integrate with this, and vice versa. The features were digitally plotted during the Mid Dorset Downs AIM project.

PREHISTORIC OR ROMANO-BRITISH SETTLEMENT (809095), on Ringmoor, lies between 700 ft. and 800 ft. above O.D. on a broad spur which slopes gently downwards from Bell Hill in the W. to the dry valley N. of the village in the E. The settlement is associated with trackways and with 'Celtic' fields (ST 80 NW 18).

The top of the spur is largely covered by a layer of Clay-with-flints. The settlement site comprises a small oval enclosure with the entrance on the E. The enclosure measures 150 ft. by 110 ft. internally and is defined by a bank about 12 ft. across and up to 4 ft. high, with an external ditch 10 ft. across and 1 ft. deep. Traces of a second bank outside the ditch occur on the N. and N.E. Occupation features, chiefly in the form of levelled areas, occur within the enclosure, particularly along the W. side and also, in association with a small outwork, on the S. side of the entrance. A track 10 ft. to 15 ft. wide and flanked by low banks or lynchets of 'Celtic' fields runs from W. to E. down the spur, passing along the N. side of the enclosure; it is joined immediately W. of the enclosure by similar track running up from the S. Towards its S. end the second track enters an open area, widening to the S. and flanked on each side by 'Celtic' fields (cf. settlement at Meriden Wood

(ST 80 SW 1); the track runs along the E. side of the area and disappears in a belt of thick scrub, to the S. of which the ground has been levelled by heavy ploughing. Air photographs show no sign that the track continued further southward, but they clearly indicate a second enclosure immediately W. of the open area; it measures about 200 ft. in diameter and retains traces of interior features. (2)

An area of later prehistoric settlement on Ringmoor is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and current Environment Agency lidar imagery (RAF 1947; NMR 1994; NMR 1994; EA 2018). The settlement comprises blocky fields centred around an oval enclosure with a small outwork on its south side. Traces of possible hut circles outside of this area lso visible. An east-west trackway runs through the settlement on the north side of the enclsoure, with a spur running south off this along the west side of the enclosure. Beyond and surrounding the settlement are further field plost, part of a wider later prehistoric field system (MDO5181) and it is not clear where the edges of the settlement are in relation to this, or how the two sites relate in terms of contemporaneity. The features were digitally plotted during the Mid Dorset Downs AIM project.

Historic England, National Record of the Historic Environment, 205558 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

National Monuments Record, 09-MAY-1994, NMR 15014/07 (Aerial Photograph). SDO21629.

National Monuments Record, 09-MAY-1994, NMR 15029/2 (Aerial Photograph). SDO21623.

Royal Air Force, 11-APR-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 RS 4025 (Aerial Photograph). SDO21601.

Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 RS 4169 (Aerial Photograph). SDO21600.

Environment Agency, xx-xxx-2018, Environment Agency National Lidar Programme DTM 1M (Aerial Photograph). SDO21483.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey map 1:10,560, 1968 (Map). SDO18658.

(ST 809085) Settlement (NR)

<2> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 291-292 (Monograph). SDO136.

'(7) Prehistoric or Romano-British Settlement (809085), on Ringmoor, lies between 700 ft. and 800 ft. above O.D. on a broad spur which slopes gently downwards from Bell Hill in the W. to the dry valley N. of the village in the E. The settlement is associated with trackways and with 'Celtic' fields (see Group (55), p. 339).

The top of the spur is largely covered by a layer of Claywith-flints. The settlement site (Plate 192) comprises a small oval enclosure with the entrance on the E. The enclosure measures 150 ft. by 110 ft. internally and is defined by a bank about 12 ft. across and up to 4 ft. high, with an external ditch 10 ft. across and 1 ft. deep. Traces of a second bank outside the ditch occur on the N. and N.E. Occupation features, chiefly in the form of levelled areas, occur within the enclosure, particularly along the W. side and also, in association with a small outwork, on the S. side of the entrance. A track 10 ft. to 15 ft. wide and flanked by low banks or lynchets of 'Celtic' fields runs from W. to E. down the spur, passing along the N. side of the enclosure; it is joined immediately W. of the enclosure by a similar track running up from the S. Towards its S. end the second track enters an open area, widening to the S. and flanked on each side by 'Celtic' fields (cf. settlement at Meriden Wood, Winterborne Houghton (9)); the track runs along the E. side of the area and disappears in a belt of thick scrub, to the S. of which the ground has been levelled by heavy ploughing. Air photographs (R.A.F. CPE/UK 1975: 4025–6) show no sign that the track continued further southward, but they clearly indicate a second enclosure immediately W. of the open area; it measures about 200 ft. in diameter and retains traces of interior features.'

<2.1> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 4025-26 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17761.

<3> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/096 RCHME Inventory: Dorset III (Central) (Unpublished document). SDO17384.

<4> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 881582 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME: Ringmoor Settlement Remains, Dorset: 1Copies of this site exist for publication purposes.Bibliographic References : 1) Pt 2, Monument (7), associated with Celtic Field Gp 55, p.339

<5> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 882050 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME: Settlement on Ringmoor, Dorset: See also GAM 881582Bibliographic References : 1) Pt 2, Opp P.291, Monument (7)

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 882090 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME: Ringmoor Settlement Remains Dorset: A copy of this exists.Bibliographic References : 1) Pt 2, Monument (7)

<7> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BB74/04508 (Index). SDO14738.

'BRITISH' VILLAGE ASSOCIATED WITH TRACKWAYS AND CELTIC FIELDSBB74/04508

<8> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS55/F168/7 (Index). SDO14738.

IRON AGE/ROMANO BRITISH SETTLEMENT AT TURNWORTH

Record last edited

Jan 7 2026 10:45AM