Monument record MDO6284 - Iron Age and Romano-British settlement on Oakley Down, Wimborne St Giles

Iron Age and Romano-British settlement associated with a track-way, set on a low ridge some 500 yards west of the Roman road from Old Sarum to Badbury Rings. The site has been levelled by ploughing, with all features now visible only as cropmarks. The main enclosure is an irregular rectangular shape, circa 3.7 hectares in area, with its corners to the north, south, east and west (approximately). A ditched annexe enclosure is attached to its northwestern side. Both the main enclosure and the annexe appear to cut earlier ditched features. The annexe interior is largely devoid of cropmark features, in contrast to the main enclosure which appears to feature a considerable density of pits and other features. Trackways approaching from the north and the northwest converge within the annexe, a single track then continuing northwest-southeast across the interior of the main enclosure, its course clear of the pits and other features that otherwise dominate the interior. It appears to continue from the souteast side of the enclosure as a double lyncheted track crossing the earlier "celtic" field system and running in the direction of the Roman road (Ackling Dyke). Another track approaches the enclosure from the northeast. The enclosure differs in alignment from the "celtic" fields, suggesting that the enclosure phase at least post-dates establishment of the field system. Small scale excavations at the main enclosure in 1949-51 by F Montagu-Puckle recovered material spanning much of the Iron Age and Roman periods, including pottery, coins and brooches. 4 Roman cremations were found inserted into the main enclosure ditch. 3 were in urns, while the fourth, an infant, was unaccompanied. Also among them was an extended inhumation lacking skull and arms. The site had previously been investigated (date unknown) by the Rev. AR Turing-Bruce. Some items found in his collection after his death are believed to come from the site. More recent surface finds include Durotrigian coins and pottery, as well as further Roman objects.

(36) IRON AGE AND ROMANO-BRITISH SETTLEMENT (01601775), on Oakley Down, associated with a trackway and lying among 'Celtic' fields (Group (85), p. 118), is now almost completely flattened by ploughing (Plate 78). It lies, at about 340 ft. above O.D., on a low ridge some 500 yds. W. of the Roman road from Old Sarum to Bradley Rings. Limited excavations have been carried out by R. M. Puckle (1949-51) and previously by A.R. Turning Bruce. Map opp. p. 102. Air photographs (C.U.A.P., RC8 V223: N.M.R., SU 0217/2/99, 100; SU 0117/11/101-3), show that the site consists of a four-sided enclosure, about 600 ft. across and 9 acres in area, defined by a bank with an external ditch. Within it numerous patches of darker soil, some notably rectangular, appear to represent areas of occupation. A track which leads through the enclosure from an entrance at the N. corner continues S.E. towards the Roman road and presumably once joined it, but ploughing has obscured the junction. The alignment of the enclosure does not conform with that of the 'Celtic' fields on E. and S., and the track appears to lie over these fields, suggesting that the settlement grew up some time after the fields had been laid out. A boundary ditch leaves the N. corner of the enclosure and divides into two arms which may be traced N.W. for some 300 yds. A section cut across the ditch of the enclosure on the S. side showed that it was V-shaped, 10 1/2 ft. across and 6 ft deep. Four Romano-British cremations, three of them in urns, and an extended headless and armless skeleton were found in the filling. Possibly the bank was fronted by a vertical timber revetment. An almost identical ditch section was excavated on the N. side. In the N.E. part of the enclosure a dished area, perhaps a hut floor, yielded much Romano-British pottery including New Forest
ware, a bronze bracelet, part of an iron brooch, an ox-goad, nails and cleats. Immediately outside, on the N.E., a pit 6 1/2 ft. deep contained Iron Age pottery in the lower filling and, in the upper filling, much Romano-British coarse ware of the 3rd and 4th centuries, a fragment of roof-tile and a coin of Constantine I. In the S. part of the enclosure four Iron Age pits and a drainage ditch were found. (Dorset Procs., 71(1949), 69-70; 72(1950), 92-3; 73(1951), 104.) Coins of c. 250-350, brooches and 'iron weapons' have been found in the area while ploughing, and pits have been noted; several pits were lined with flints and one contained a headless inhumation. Finds (in D.C.M.) include a brooch of La Tene I type and a Roman enamelled disc brooch (Dorset Procs., 74 (1952), 109; also notes by A. R. Turing Bruce in D.C.M.). Near-by barrows (115) and another, unidentified) contained secondary burials of Roman date.

Rectangular enclosure, area 3.7ha +1ha (annexe). Complex, with thin-ditched 'annexe' integral on N; other slight ditches inside; uninterrupted line of road between entrances; no pits visible outside; focus of tracks N and S. AP [Plate 21] uninformative S of hedge. Intersects smaller enclosures 'a' and 'b'. Enclosure 'a' similar pattern to Bronze Age 'Angle Ditch' [ ] . Smears intersect W ditch. Recent surface finds of coins from Durotrigian to 4th century AD. <7-8>

The site lies amidst 'Celtic' fields at about 340 feet above Ordnance Datum. It consists of a four-sided enclosure about 600 feet across and defined by a bank with an external ditch. This encloses an area of about 9 acres, within which numerous patches of darker soil- some noteably rectangular- may to represent areas of occupation. The entire site has been flattened by ploughing.

Briggs, Peter, 2024, Summary report of magnetometry surveys on Oakley Farm, Sixpenny Handley. October and November 2024 (Unpublished document). SDO21273.

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1950, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1949, 69-70 (Serial). SDO49.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1951, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1950, 92-93 (Serial). SDO50.

<3> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1952, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1951, 104 (Serial). SDO51.

<4> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1953, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1952, 109 (Serial). SDO52.

<5> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1975, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume V (East), 99-100 (Monograph). SDO129.

'(36) Iron Age and Romano-British Settlement (01601775), on Oakley Down, associated with a track-way and lying among 'Celtic' fields (Group (85), p. 118), is now almost completely flattened by ploughing (Plate 78). It lies, at about 340 ft. above O.D., on a low ridge some 500 yds. W. of the Roman road from Old Sarum to Badbury Rings. Limited excavations have been carried out by R.M. Puckle (1949-51) and previously by A.R. Turing Bruce. Map opp. P. 102.
Air photographs (C.U.A.P., RC8 V223: N.M.R., SU 0217/2/99, 100; SU 0117/11/101-3) show that the site consists of a four-sided enclosure, about 600 ft. across and 9 acres in area, defined by a bank with an external ditch. Within it numerous patches of darker soil, some noteably rectangular, appear to represent areas of occupation. A track which leads through the enclosure from an entrance at the N. corner continues S.E. towards the Roman road and presumably once joined it, but ploughing has obscured the junction. The alignment of the enclosure does not conform with that of the 'Celtic' fields on E. and S., and the track appears to lie over these fields, suggesting that the settlement grew up some time after the fields had been laid out. A boundary ditch leaves the N. corner of the enclosure and divides into two arms which may be traced N.W. for some 300 yds.
A section cut across the ditch of the enclosure on the S. side showed that it was V-shaped, 10 1/2 ft. across and 6 ft. deep. Four Romano-British cremations, three of them in urns, and an extended headless and armless skeleton were found in the filling. Possibly the bank was fronted by a vertical timber revetment. An almost identical ditch section was excavated on the N. side. In the N.E. part of the enclosure a dished area, perhaps a hut floor, yielded much Romano-British pottery pottery including New Forest ware, a bronze bracelet, part of an iron brooch, an oxgoad, nails and cleats. Immediately outside, on the N.E., a pit 6 1/2 ft. deep contained Iron Age pottery in the lower filling and, in the upper filling, much Roman-British coarse ware of the 3rd and 4th centuries, a fragment of roof tile and a coin of Constantine I. In other S. part of the enclosure for Iron Age pits and a drainage ditch were found. (Dorset Procs., 71 (1949), 69-70; 72 (1950), 92-3; 73 (1951), 104.)
Coins of c.250-350, brooches and 'iron weapons' have been found in the area while ploughing, and pits have been noted; several pits were lined with flints and one contained a headless inhumation. Finds (in D.C.M.) include a brooch of La Tene I type and a Roman enamelled disc brooch (Dorset Procs., 74 (1952), 109; also notes by A.R. Turning Bruce in D.C.M.). Near-by barrows ((115) and another, unidentified) contained secoundary burials of Roman date'.

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, Object Number: RCH01/091. (Index). SDO14738.

Object Title: RCHME Inventory: Dorset V (East). Scope & Content: Annotated publication proofs for Dorset V, East Dorset, published in 1974. Also includes original surveys, drawings and field notes, and unpublished material. Original survey material has been catalogued.

<7> Bowen, H C, 1990, The Archaeology of Bokerley Dyke, Wimborne St Giles 36 (Area Plan 3) (Monograph). SWX800.

<8> Bowen, H C, 1991, The Archaeology of Bokerley Dyke: Inventory, 30, Wimbourne St Giles 36 (Monograph). SDO14864.

<8.1> National Monuments Record, NMR OAPs SU 0117/24/298; 0117/27/89; 0217/3/98 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19057.

<9> Barrett, J, Bradley, R and Green, M, 1991, Landscape, Monuments and Society: the prehistory of Cranborne Chase, 232, 241 (Monograph). SDO16633.

<10> Historic England, Historic England Archive, Object Number: BB74/04572. (Index). SDO14738.

Object Title: ENVIRONS AND ASSOCIATED FEATURES OF ?NEO/EIA/RB SETTLEMENT SEE PDNHAS/71/69-70,/72/92-3,/73/104 AND DOR5/100.

<11> National Record of the Historic Environment, 213500 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 28 2025 4:44PM