Monument record MDO7150 - Prehistoric dyke, Bere Regis

A linear dyke running along the parish boundary between Bere Regis and Milborne St Andrew, across the bottom of a small dry valley. It is disrupted by later boundaries and trackways, particularly at the ends, and in part overlain by a boundary bank, possibly manorial. In 1970 this monument was reported as being around 23 feet wide at its widest point, and about 6 feet high.

Earthwork remains of an undated linear dyke which runs along the parish boundary with Milborne St Andrew, down the sides and across the bottom of the small dry valley followed by the Bere Regis-Milborne road, and it apparently ends about 230yds N of the road. To SW it begins about 610yds S of the road, in the centre it is broken for about 25yds either side of the road. The precise ends are ill-defined, due to an overlying (manorial?) boundary bank, which continues the line to the SW. The dimensions vary along the dyke's length, but at most it is 23ft wide and 6ft high; throughout, it is higher above present ground level on the W than the E, suggesting a ditch on the W and uphill side. Towards its SW end, the bank is crossed by a double-lynchet track running into the settlement (SY 89 NW 12).

This earthwork (bank) extends from SY 81869696 to SY 81389644, a distance of 730.0 metres, and is generally as described by R.C.H.M. (1). At the southern end, it reaches its maximum width of 7.0 metres and height of 1.2 metres. No where is there visible evidence of a ditch.
Surveyed at 1:2500 on M.S.D. <2>

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 517 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘(119) LINEAR DYKE (SY 89 NW; 81389644–81889701) runs along the parish boundary with Milborne St. Andrew, down the sides and across the bottom of the small dry valley followed by the Bere Regis-Milborne road. To S.W., it begins about 610 yds. S. of the road, in the centre it is broken for about 25 yds. either side of the road, and it apparently ends about 230 yds. N. of the road. The ends are ill-defined, owing to an overlying (manorial?) boundary bank, which continues the line to the S.W. The dimensions vary along the dyke's length, but at most it is 23 ft. wide and 6 ft. high; throughout, it is higher above present ground level on the W. than the E., suggesting a ditch on the W. and uphill side. Towards its S.W. end, the bank is crossed by a double-lynchet track running past the probable settlement in Ancient Field Group (30). (Warne, C.T.D., cpf, barrow no. 2.)’

<2> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 20-MAY-81 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 456040 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 5 2023 10:21AM