Monument record MDO7332 - Cross dyke on Knowle Hill, Church Knowle

A cross ridge dyke is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs on Knowle Hill, Church Knowle. At the western end of Knowle Hill, and aligned ligned north east by south west, it forms part of a group of associated with an Iron Age hilltop enclosure on the hill.

The only feature of antiquity at this position is a low flat bank about 30 metres long, aligned north-south, average width 6.0 metres, height 0.5 metre. It is not shown on OS 6" 1929, where the description 'Earthworks' appears to apply to a chalk pit and a sunken roadway. <2>

A dyke at SY 93088211, probably associated with the Iron Age 'A' settlement on Knowle Hill, has been much disturbed by a quarry on the south, but extends 100 feet to the edge of the ridge on the north. The bank is about 15 feet across, and up to 3 feet high above the 10 ft. wide ditch which runs on its west side.

A slighter bank, 12 feet wide and 1 foot high, also with a ditch on the west, joins the dyke at the north and bends slightly west before running down to the foot of the steep slope. (See plan with SY 98 SW 48). <6>

SY 935824. "Cross ridge dykes, mound and settlement on Knowle Hill". Scheduled and protected by a Preservation Order. (Includes this dyke).Visited 26.11.68 when partly under gorse and brambles. <5> <7>

SY 93058210 to SY 93048213. This short cross-ridge dyke, covered by dense gorse and bramble, straddles the narrow ridge-top at the west end of Knowle Hill. It comprises a spread earthern bank with a shallow ditch on the west side, now 35.0m long which in east-west profile averages 0.5m high internally, 0.8m high externally and 0.2m deep.

It terminates on the north side just below the crest of the ridge where a vague linear bank and ditch commences and runs down the very steep slope. The southern end of the dyke has been effaced by a small quarry, road and reservoir. A long abandoned but well-used ridgeway track cuts through the dyke and ditch at the highest point of the ridge top. The age of this 0.7m deep hollow-way is not clear but it pre-dates the adjacent ?18th/19th century quarry and it may utilise an original gap. Resurvey at 1:2500. <8>

Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey, IOP 238 (Index). SDO147.

‘Clear earthwork in rough grassland. Damaged. 7/7/C.’

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1928 (Map). SWX1197.

(SY 93088212) Earthworks (NR)

<2> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 17-JUL-52 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1954 (Map). SWX1197.

(SY 93048211) Ancient Earthwork (NAT)

<4> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 930821) Earthworks (NR)

<5> Department of the Environment, DOE (IAM) Ancient Monuments Record Form, 26.11.68 (Index). SDO17347.

<6> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 517-8 (Monograph). SDO136.

‘(56) Cross-ridge Dykes, five, on Knowle Hill (SY 98 sw; Fig. opp. p. 509, Plate 212), are of varying form; (c) and (d) are complex. Some or all are likely to be contemporary with the Iron Age 'A' settlement, Church Knowle (54), which lies between (c) and (d), the ditches of all the dykes being on the side distant from it. The apparently unfinished works along the N. shoulder between (c) and (d) suggest that there may have been an intention to enclose this area. … (a) (93088211) is much disturbed by a quarry on the S. but runs 100 ft. to the edge of the ridge on the N. The bank is about 15 ft. across and now up to 3 ft. high above its ditch, 10 ft. wide. A slighter bank, 12 ft. wide and 1 ft. high, also with a ditch on the W., joins the dyke at the N. and bends slightly W. before running down to the foot of the steep slope. Burials, probably Roman, were found to the E. (Roman section, Church Knowle 59).’

<7> Department of the Environment, 1978, Department of the Environment (IAM) Ancient Monuments of England (Vol 2), 76 (Monograph). SWX1687.

<8> Fletcher, Martin, Field investigator's comments MJF, F2 MJF 29-APR-86 (Unpublished document). SDO17630.

<9> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<10> National Record of the Historic Environment, 456893 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2025 10:38AM