Monument record MDO7050 - Worgret Dykes: linear earthworks, Worgret Heath/Wareham Common

Probable late prehistoric linear earthworks comprising of banks and ditches present on Worgret Heath and Wareham Common. Fragments of a linear ditched and banked feature are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and Lidar imagery. They are considered likely to be the remains of the probable late prehistoric dyke described above. It appears to have been disturbed in some places by modern military training activities in this area (MDO30820).

Earthworks (NR) Earthworks on Worgret Heath consist of sections of irregular Linear earthworks comprising banks and ditches present on Worgret Heath and Wareham Common. These consist of two alignments which meet at a central point. Each has a pair of banks 7 to 12 metres wide and 0.2 to 0.4 metres high which flank a pair of ditches 4 to 5 metres wide. These are now visible as a single depression between the banks. The southern earthwork has been disturbed by sand and gravel extraction and truncated by road. Scheduled.

Two large ditches found on the NE-SW alignment of the scheduled dyke were revealed in a trench excavated in advance of pipeline construction. The ditches ran parallel to each other with a 2.5m gap between them. The northern/western most ditch was 4.5m wide, 1.98m deep with a v-shaped profile. Substantial amounts of modern building material, iron wire and bronze objects were found at its top. The second ditch formed the SE side of the monument and was 5.5m wide and 1.52m deep with moderate to steeply sloping sides. There was no dating evidence from the ditches and no associated banks. A further, narrow linear cut was also excavated, any connection with the scheduled dyke could not be established.

Fragments of a linear ditched and banked feature are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs (8-9) and Lidar imagery (10) of Worgret Heath, Arne. They are considered likely to be the remains of the probable late prehistoric dyke described above. The earthworks appear to have been disturbed in some places by modern military training activities in this area (MDO30820). These features were digitally plotted during the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project. They are still partially visible as cropmarks on the most recent Google Earth imagery.

Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3 (Monograph). SDO150.

Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1990, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1989, 124 (Serial). SDO89.

1990, Report on Geophysical Survey Worgret Heath, Wareham (Unpublished document). SDO21197.

Coe, Duncan, 1991, Field survey and excavation on Worgret Heath, 1990 (Article in serial). SWX789.

Hawkes, J W, and Coe, D, 1991, Field Survey and Excavation on Worgret Heath, 1990 (Unpublished document). SDO206.

Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1991, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1990, 127-128 (Serial). SDO90.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1938 edition OS map (Map). SWX1540.

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, 19-AUG-52 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<4> 1978, List of ancient monuments in England: Southern England, p80 (Monograph). SWX1558.

<5> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F2 JGB 19-JUN-81 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<6> DCMS, 1999, Scheduled Monument Notification 1999, 16-APR-1999 (Scheduling record). SDO17351.

<7> Coe, D, 1990, Wareham Oilfield: Excavations and Observations on the Route of the Pipeline between Well-sites C and D on the Wareham Oilfield (Unpublished document). SWX8534.

<8> Royal Air Force, 14-MAR-1945, RAF 106G/LA/194 236-38 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13435.

<9> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 6407 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13439.

<10> Environment Agency, 2010, Lidar DSM (Aerial Photograph). SDO13147.

Record last edited

Dec 19 2024 3:11PM