Monument record MDO7272 - The Round Pound, Chaldon Herring

An enclosure, known as Round Pound, situated on an elevated part of Chaldon Down. The Round Pound was recorded by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England in 1970. It is defined by a bank composed of chalk and earth, with maximum dimensions of 14 metres in width and about 1.5 metres in height. The bank is surrounded by a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument. The ditch has become infilled over the years, but is known to survive as a buried feature 7.5 metres wide. The only identifiable entrance is situated to the south of the eastern corner and includes a gap 3 metres wide. The bank and ditch enclose a slightly dished area, sub-square in plan which covers about 0.6 hectares. The interior of the enclosure is higher than the surrounding ground. The only dating evidence from the site is a sherd of Iron Age pottery with finger tip decoration. This was recovered from the western corner of the enclosure bank by RCHME staff during survey work. The possible Iron Age to Roman enclosure recorded by the RCHME is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of 2005.

Round Pound (name not confirmed) at SY 79638169 remains as described by RCHM <2> under rough pasture. Re-surveyed at 1:2500 on M.S.D. utilising the RCHM plan. <3>

The enclosure known as Round Pound was recorded by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England in 1970. The monument is formed a chalk and earth bank surrounded by a ditch. The only dating evidence from the site is a sherd of Iron Age pottery with finger tip decoration (NRHE Monument 454149).

The possible Iron Age to Roman enclosure recorded by the RCHME <2> is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of 2005 <7>. The monument is formed of a sub-square bank with a possible entrance on its eastern side. It measures approximately 42 m by 42 m. This feature was digitally plotted as part of the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 79638168) Round Pound (NAT) Earthwork (NR)

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 502 (Monograph). SDO150.

'(58) The Round Pound (SY 78 SE; 79638168), lies at about 480 ft. above O.D. on Chaldon Down, part of an undulating E. to W. chalk ridge here covered by angular flint gravel. The earthwork is on a knoll but with a rise to the S.W. blocking any view towards Portland. Visibility is otherwise extremely good and extends from the Hardy Monument in the W., to Bindon Hill, Flower's Barrow and St. Aldhelm's Head in the E. and to the limits of the chalk downs on the N. The date is unknown; the only evidence is a single sherd of Iron Age 'A' ware with finger-tip decoration found by R.C.H.M. staff scraped from the body of the bank at the W. corner.

A single defensive bank about 36 ft. across at its base and at most 5½ ft. high above the rather dished interior and 10 ft. above an external ditch about 25 ft. wide encloses an irregular, roughly square area of about 1/6 acre with sides 80 ft. to 110 ft. long. The interior ground level is somewhat higher than the outside. The rounded corners at the N. and W. are notably higher than the general run of the sides. The only possible entrance is a dip in the crest of the bank for about 10 ft. immediately S. of the very rounded E. corner. This depression is not certainly original, however, since the scarp of the bank falls for some 4 ft. below it to the outside and perhaps 3 ft. to the inside. The earthwork has been much disturbed and to the E. the ditch, elsewhere almost filled, has been completely obscured.'

<3> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 21-JUL-80 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<4> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<5> Historic England, Historic England Archive, F52/67/2 (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW OF ENCLOSURE FROM WEST. PROBABLY DEFENSIVE SINCE THE BANK IS VERY STRONG, IN PLACES 20-25 FEET HIGH

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS52/F67/2 (Index). SDO14738.

ROUND POND FROM WEST. Photographer: UNKNOWN

<7> Dorset County Council, XX-XXX-2005, Dorset CC Vertical Digital Photo Tile (Aerial Photograph). SDO13151.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 454149 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 9 2024 3:36PM