Monument record MDO7343 - Iron Age and Romano-British occupation and shale working site at Newfoundland Wood, Church Knowle

About 1947 a Roman brooch was ploughed up in a field on West Orchard Farm by Mr A Chaffey who gave it to Dorchester Museum. In the same area and over a period of 10 years several Kimmeridge shale armbands, several square artificially shaped blocks of Kimmeridge shale and a portion of a black pottery dish shaped like a saucer have been ploughed up. The area of finds was pointed out by Mr Chaffey and was centred at SY 93657920..... The land was under corn 2ft high and contained no irregular growth. The field appeared to be quite flat. Several sherds of RB pottery were picked up on the edge of the field. They were all of the same type.

The brooch was described as "A bronze brooch with triangle of blue enamel half way down the bow. Where the bow joins the arms of the head there is a slight trumpet effect. It combines features of Collingwoods types L,M and R and typologically should be mid 2nd century A.D." Now in Dorchester Museum. <1>

Site perambulated. Sole finds consisted of a few very small sherds of ill-fired pottery, too small to classify and one piece of samian ware. There were no surface indications of habitation. <2>

SY 93677922- A few shale rough-outs (Iron Age) found in approximately 1952 in the field south of Newfoundland. <3>

Occupation debris comes from an undefined area (93657926) on both sides of the field wall some 200 yds S.E. of Newfoundland copse," A rough floor of limestone blocks overlying an Iron Age deposit was uncovered during a trial excavation in 1956 north of the wall, at 93687925. Waste from hand-cut shale armlets, much I.A. 'A' pottery, sherds of Iron Age 'C' or early Roman date, and a 2nd century brooch were recovered from the site. Flint flakes and scrapers occur in the field to the west.

Excavation S. of the field wall in 1967 revealed pits and further traces of flooring, and suggested two phases of Iron Age 'A' occupation associated with a hand-cut shale armlet industry. The later occupation, marked by Durotrigian pottry and other finds, some certainly of post-conquest date, was associated with waste from a similar shale industry perhaps using metal tools and a few shale lathe-cores. There was evidence for a flint industry of Mesolithic character in the vicinity. <3-7>

There are no earthwork remains of this settlement which lie on the gentle western slope of a spur which is regularly cultivated.<8>

<1> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 16-JUL-1952 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<1.1> Chaffey, A, Oral: Mr A Chaffey, West Orchard Farm, Church Knowle (Verbal communication). SDO20187.

<1.2> Dorset County Museum, Dorset County Museum Accessions Book, 1952.11.1.In a letter to N.V.Quinnell 18.7.52 (Unpublished document). SWX1315.

<2> Colquhoun, F D, Field Investigators Comments FDC, F3 FDC 05-DEC-52 (Unpublished document). SWX2609.

<3> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1956, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1955, 126-127 (Serial). SDO55.

<4> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1964, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1963, 102 (Serial). SDO63.

<5> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1968, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1967, 141-143 (Serial). SDO67.

<6> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1970, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1969, 178-180 (Serial). SDO69.

<7> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 596 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘West Orchard Farm. Occupation debris comes from an undefined area (93657926) on both sides of the field wall some 200 yards S.E. of Newfoundland copse, about 550 ft above sea level. A trial excavation in 1956 north of the wall partly exposed a rough floor of limestone blocks of unknown date overlying an Iron Age ‘A’ deposit (93687925). Excavated material and surface finds include waste from manufacture of hand cut shale armlets, much Iron Age ‘A’ pottery (some haematite-coated) sherds of Iron Age ‘C’ or early Roman date and a 2nd century enamelled brooch, but no demonstrably later material.’

<8> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F4 NVQ 01-MAY-86 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<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, 456507 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 11 2023 4:22PM