Monument record MDO5245 - Iron Age settlement, Winterborne Houghton

Earthwork remains suggest Iron Age settlement consisting of part of a circular enclosure which has later field boundaries in it presumably removing any traces of internal occupation.

The description 'Earthworks' is erroneous, and applies to pronounced lynchets NW and SE of Bully Plantation (see ST 80 SW 1). <2>.

Centred ST 808036) A possible Iron Age settlement embodies, on almost flat ground, a quarter circle defined by short straight stretches of scarp and suggests the former existence of a roughly circular enclosure of about 4 acres. The bounding scarp, without any sign of a flanking ditch, is about 4ft. high in the N., where for a length of over 300 ft. its face has been dug for flints. In the N.W. it has been interrupted by a quarry pit, which could be on the site of an entrance. The E. side is marked by low parallel banks, each 12ft. across, divided by an uneven sinking which may indicate robbing of a former single bank. Sub-divisions of the interior mark occupation or conversion into fields, themselves largely destroyed. A mound 120 ft. long, jutting N. from the modern hedge, increases in height from 1ft. to 3ft. at the N. end. To the East the long curving scarp which runs N. and N.E. from Mint Pit (ST 81000357) is flanked by a later track on the W., and on the E. it falls 2 1/2 ft. to 4 1/2 ft.to remains of 'Celtic' fields which probably are contemporary with it. These fields are partly overlain by later ridge-and-furrow. The pond is relatively recent. The long bank, 12 ft. across and up to 2ft. high, W. and N. of the enclosure is variously scarped on both sides, probably by cultivation. It makes slight angular deviations in its course, and has low scarps butting against it on both sides, presumably 'Celtic' fields which have subsequently been almost flattened. <3-4>

ST 810035 Earthworks on Houghton South Down. Scheduled. <5>.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1902 (Map). SWX1540.

(ST 80870364) Earthworks (NR

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 23-AUG-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<3> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 338-9 (Monograph). SDO136.

<4> Royal Air Force, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 1083-4, 1084 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17657.

<4.1> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 1085-6, 1085 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17828.

<5> Historic England, Historic England Archive, RCH01/096 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME Inventory: Dorset III (Central): A large collection of archive relating to the RCHME Dorset Inventory Volume III, published in 1970. It contains field surveys and excavation archive. Parish files containing original surveys have been given child collection status.

<5> DOE, 1978, Scheduled Monument Notification DOE (IAM) AMs Eng 2 1978, 78 (Scheduling record). SDO17448.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 205835 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 29 2022 3:08PM