Monument record MDO7452 - Rempstone Stone Circle, Rempstone, Corfe Castle

Partial stone circle lying in woodland about a quarter of a mile east of Rempstone. Stone circle located at the foot of Nine Barrow Down. RCHME field investigation in the mid-20th century noted that the surviving stones formed an arc which, if originally part of a complete circle, would have been about 80 feet in diameter. At the time, 12 stones stood on or near their original setting. 5 stood to a height of 2 to 3.75 feet, while the other seven were prone. Some of these latter had clearly been moved. Nine other stones were noted piled together some 80 feet to the east. In 1957, JB Calkin referred to two parallel rows of stones, about 9 feet apart and located circa half a mile west of the circle, but apparently aligned a little to the north of it. He suggested that they may have formed a processional way leading to the circle. RCHME field investigation in 1986 noted that only 10 of the stones belonging to Rempstone Circle were still visible. The field investigator added that "nothing of the supposed stone row(s) survives".

Rempstone stone circle - (SY 99468207) now incomplete, lies in a wood just S of the Corfe Castle to Studland road at 278ft about OD on a gentle W-facing slope near the foot of Nine Barrow Down. The west site is cut by pools and ditches, owing largely to clay workings shown on a map of 1772 (in the possession of Major D C D Ryder, Rempstone Hall).

The stones are irregularly-shaped of hard gritstone from the local Bagshot Beds. Those surviving form an arc suggesting a circle originally about 80ft. in diameter. Of the 12 on or near their original setting five still stand to heights varying from 2ft to 3 3/4ft; seven are prone and some of these have clearly been moved. The largest visible stone is 6 1/2ft. long 2 3/4ft wide and 2ft out of the ground. Nine other stones are piled 80ft to the E.

The circle was first noted in 1908 and probably belongs to the Early Bronze Age (Dorset Procs XXIX (1908), liii and Pl. facing liv; see also Antiquity XIII (1939),148). In 1957 J. B. Calkin described two parallel rows of stones about 9ft apart 1/2 mile W of the circle but aligned to a point some 12oN. Of it. The stones, again of local sandstone, averaged 2 1/2ft by 1ft by 6ins. In size. It was suggested that they might have formed part of a processional way leading to the circle (Dorset Procs LXXI (1959), 114-6). The circle is No.184 on the OS map of Neolithic Wessex but early editions wrongly described the Holdenhurst long barrow against this number. <3>

The Rempstone Stone Circle is as described by Auth 2, except that only 10 set stones are now visible. Nothing of the supposed stone row(s) survives. <4>

The stones appear of mapping of 1901 date wich conflicts against the view that the site was discovered by the Dorset Field Club in 1908. <5>

Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey, IOP 52 and 53 (Index). SDO147.

‘Site lies in a copse of deciduous trees S. of a road. The circle is incomplete and has been damaged by old clay workings. Fields regularly ploughed lie S. and W. of the site. 7/7/D.’

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1908, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club for 1908, 1iii - 1iv (Serial). SDO19.

‘In a copse on the south side of the road to Studland… about a quarter of a mile east of Rempstone… several blocks of stone standing about 10 paces from the road. The blocks are of several sizes, the four tallest about 3 feet 6 inches out of the ground and 2ft thick… All are chocolate coloured iron gritstone and flattish in section. Nine are set round in just about (the northern) half of a circle or a little more and measure 26 paces from the south-east one to the tall north west one. A ditch runs across about the middle and two of the stones are on the southern bank, a small (stone) or a portion only visible, nearly buried in the bank, opposite the last standing stone on the west, that on the east being a good hump about 2ft 6in high. Between the extremities the ground has apparently been excavated… but no stones of the south half of the circle. Eight or nine stones lie irregularly about 30 paces from the circle eastward, which may have occupied the south half of the circle, which would require eight or nine stones to complete it.’

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 99468207) Stone Circle (NR)

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 513 (Monograph). SDO150.

<4> Wardale, C F, Various, Field Investigators Comments CFW, F1 CFW 02-OCT-86 (Unpublished document). SWX2704.

<5> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 1:10,000 scale map, 1901 (Map). SDO17396.

<6> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<7> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 884079 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME: Rempstone Stone Circle, Dorset. 1 of 3 plans on this sheet. GAM 884072 and GAM 884064

<8> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA72/01613 - 01620 (Index). SDO14738.

STONE FROM EBA STONE CIRCLE. NORTHERN ARC ONLY NOW SURVIVING

<9> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BB72/03725A (Index). SDO14738.

PLAN OF EBA STONE CIRCLE - NORTHERN ARC ONLY NOW SURVIVING

<10> Historic England, Historic England Archive, CC72/01435 (Index). SDO14738.

PLAN OF EBA STONE CIRCLE - NORTHERN ARC ONLY NOW SURVIVING

<11> Historic England, Historic England Archive, CC72/01436 (Index). SDO14738.

STONES EAST OF CIRCLE

<12> Historic England, Historic England Archive, F52/62/2 (Index). SDO14738.

STONE CIRCLE FROM WEST. 'A' IN FOREGROUND

<13> Historic England, Historic England Archive, F52/62/3 (Index). SDO14738.

LOOSE STONES EAST OF STONE CIRCLE

<14> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS52/F62/2 (Index). SDO14738.

STONE CIRCLE FROM WEST. A IN FOREGROUND. Photographer: UNKNOWN

<15> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS52/F62/3 (Index). SDO14738.

LOOSE STONES EAST OF STONE CIRCLE. Photographer: UNKNOWN

<16> National Record of the Historic Environment, 456759 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 13 2024 12:08PM