Monument record MDO7051 - Worgret Dykes: linear earthworks, Worgret Heath/Wareham Common

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.

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.

Hawkes, J W, and Coe, D, 1991, Field Survey and Excavation on Worgret Heath, 1990 (Unpublished document).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

Earthworks (NR)

<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 Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, 19-AUG-52 (Unpublished document).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 Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F2 JGB 19-JUN-81 (Unpublished document).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.

Record last edited

Nov 5 2024 10:42AM