Monument record MDO6416 - Church Henge at Knowlton, Woodlands

A Neolithic henge monument, one of a group known as Knowlton Circles. It is the best preserved of the three henges at Knowlton, part of a cluster of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments (see NRHE 213817 for an overview of the whole complex). It comprises a subcircular earthwork enclosure with banks and external ditch, the circuit composed of a series of shorter lengths. It contains the ruined remains of the medieval Knowlton Church [SU 01 SW 42] and several enclosures. The main enclosure, orientated roughly north east-south west, measures 106 metres by 94 metres overall. The enclosing ditch is 10 metres wide and up to 1 metre deep while the banks measure 10 metres in width and stand up to 1.75 metres high. Three gaps are present in the enclosure circuit, they are to the south west, east and north east sides. It is unclear how many are original, possibly only the gap on the east is original. A contour survey was undertaken of the earthworks by Bournemouth University in 1995. It is suggested that that the bank around the west entrance was altered subsequent to the henge's construction, possibly in connection with the construction or use of the church. Additionally the north eastern entrance may have been created by secondary infilling of the ditch and removal of the bank. No excavation is known to have been undertaken at the site. The enclosure has been mapped from aerial photographs by English Heritage's Knowlton Circles Project and was digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project. The site is in the care of English Heritage.

(SU 024103) Central Circle or Church Henge, occupied by the ruins of Knowlton Church, is the best preserved of the enclosures. It is oval in plan, 350ft by 310ft overall, consisting of a series of straight lengths linked by rounded corners. The bank is 35ft wide 6ft high. A slight ledge below the inner crest for much of the circuit suggests it has at some time been heightened. The ditch is up to 35ft wide and 4ft deep, though damaged by quarrying appears to have originally been irregular and interrupted by a series of causeways. Three possible entrances are present, the eastern example is likely to be the original. <1>

Knowlton Centre. SU 02391028. Sub-oval enclosure defined by a slightly irregular ditch and outer bank. The bank is broken in three places although both the SW and E gaps appear rather narrow. Clear causeway across the ditch facing NE and SW to correspond with those gaps in the bank. There appears to be no berm between the bank and the ditch. <2>

The 'Central Circle' or 'Church Henge'. The oval enclosure measures 106 metres by 94 metres and is defined by a ditch and banks. Scheduling amended. <6>

The enclosure has been mapped from aerial photographs by EH's Knowlton Circles Project. <3-4>

Published report of aerial photography analysis from the Knowlton Circles project, noted above. <8>

Additional source, which includes a brief accessible overview of the complex of earthworks at Knowlton, for visitors. <7>

The henge earthworks are clearly visible on a 2014 aerial photograph <12> and were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project. The medieval Knowlton church and surrounding enclosure was recorded separately (MDO40029).

MONUMENTS (19-22), KNOWLTON CIRCLES
These consist of four enclosures, three of normal henge form, which represent the remains of a ritual or ceremonial centre of the late Neolithic period (Plate 80). All but Monument (20) have been severely damaged by cultivation. Their importance as such a centre is emphasised by the concentration of round barrows in the vicinity (Antiquity, XIII (1939), 153-4; R. J. C. Atkinson and others, Excavations at Dorchester Oxon., Vol i (1951), 95, 102). <1>

Knowlton Circles comprises of a group of henge monuments none of which have been excavated. Stray finds from the vincinity include polished flint and stone axes. Surface flint scatters close to the henges have recently been identified by Martin Green. One of which produced an oblique transverse arrowhead. The closest counterparts to the henges, especially in comparison to their lowland situation are henges at Mount Pleasant, Durrington Walls and Marden which have been dated c. 2000bc, associated with Grooved Ware. <15-16>

Description and plan of Knowlton Circles. <17>

The south-east circle between SU 02400985 and SU 02581000 has been destroyed by ploughing. <17>

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1975, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume V (East), 113-5 (Monograph). SDO129.

‘The parish came into existence in the 19th century when the hamlets of Knowlton, Baggeridge and Woodlands (Hutchins III, 150) were detached from Horton. Knowlton, now deserted, was the earliest settlement; it stood beside the R. Allen and its 12th-century church (1) was built, not in the village, but some 600 yds. to the S.E., near the centre of a Neolithic henge (20). … (1) Knowlton Church (02381028), a ruined building of unknown dedication standing near the centre of a Neolithic henge (20),

Monuments (19–22), Knowlton Circles

These consist of four enclosures, three of normal henge form, which represent the remains of a ritual or ceremonial centre of the late Neolithic period (Plate 80). All but Monument (20) have been severely damaged by cultivation. Their importance as such a centre is emphasised by the concentration of round barrows in the vicinity (Antiquity, XIII (1939), 153–4; R. J. C. Atkinson and others, Excavations at Dorchester, Oxon., Vol. i (1951), 95, 102).

(20) Centre Circle or Church Henge (024103), occupied by the ruins of Knowlton Church, is the best preserved of the enclosures. It is roughly oval in plan, 350 ft. by 310 ft. overall, and like (19) consists of a series of straight lengths linked by rounded corners. The bank is up to 35 ft. wide and 6 ft. high, and a slight ledge below the inner crest for much of its circuit suggests that it has at some time been heightened. The ditch within the bank is up to 35 ft. wide and 4 ft. deep and, though damaged by quarrying, appears always to have been irregular and interrupted by a number of causeways. Of three possible entrances only that on the E. is likely to be original. (Plan, p. 115.)

The church (1) stands on a low, roughly oval mound, within a sub-rectangular enclosure defined by a low bank, presumably the former churchyard (Plate 88).

<2> Harding, A F, with G E Lee, 1987, Henge monuments and related sites of Great Britain: air photographic evidence and catalogue, 128-9, Site 051 (Monograph). SDO17363.

<3> National Monuments Record, 13-JUL-1995, NMR15314/009 (SU0210/072) (Aerial Photograph). SDO15702.

<4> National Monuments Record, 13-JUL-1995, NMR SU 0210/65-7 (NMR 15326/05-7) (Aerial Photograph). SDO19586.

<5> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1996, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1995, 131-2 (Serial). SDO95.

Burrow, S and J Gale. Survey and Excavation at Knowlton Rings, Woodland Parish, Dorset 1993-5.

<6> DCMS, 2002, Scheduled Monument Notification EH Scheduling amendment, 05-JUL-2002 (Scheduling record). SDO18700.

<7> Carter, Katy (ed), 2004, Heritage Unlocked: Guide to free sites in Devon, Dorset and Somerset, 50-1 (Monograph). SDO18928.

<8> Stoertz, Cathy, 2005, Knowlton Circles Project, Dorset: report on the aerial photographic transcription and analysis (Monograph). SDO19585.

<9> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AF1339047 (Index). SDO14738.

Object Title: EH: Knowlton Circles, Dorset.

<10> Historic England, Historic England Archive, PF/KNO (Index). SDO14738.

Object Title: Knowlton Church and Earthworks, Woodlands, Dorset.
Scope & Content: Sixteen sheets dating from between 1958 and 1988. There is a drawing from 1958 showing proposed fencing and gates, a series of later copies of deed plans from 1959 (including one revised to 1979) and eleven sheets from a topographic survey made in 1988.

<12> GetMapping, 2014, Digital vertical aerial photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDO14101.

<13> National Record of the Historic Environment, 621822 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<14> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(Centred SU 02381028) Knowlton Circles (NR)

<15> Bowen, H C, 1990, The Archaeology of Bokerley Dyke, 79 (Monograph). SWX800.

<16> Barrett, J, Bradley, R and Green, M, 1991, Landscape, Monuments and Society: the prehistory of Cranborne Chase, 67, 105-107, 109 (Monograph). SDO16633.

<17> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Large Scale/Small Scale Map Reviser's comments, OS Small Scales Reviser July 1998 (Verbal communication). SDO19451.

<17> Cunliffe, B, 1985, Heywood Sumner's Wessex, 87-89 (Monograph). SDO20576.

<18> National Record of the Historic Environment, 213817 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 12 2024 10:45AM