Monument record MDO7454 - Iron Age and Romano-British settlement on Green Island, Corfe Castle

Iron Age and Romano-British occupation site on Green Island mainly discovered by Smith and Bromby circa 1951. (See plan based on H P Smith's original plan (6" in possession of Mr. Avenall, Poole Harbour Asst. Surveyor and Engineer).
'A' SZ 00778661. Iron Age 'C' sherds along the shore.
'B' - SZ 00588674. Iron Age 'C' sherds and neck of possible pre-Roman imported amphora found along the shore.
Trial shafts were dug in 1951 on various parts of the island, of which most produced evidence of occupation at a depth of 2-3 ft.
'C'-SZ 00738670 & 'D' - SZ 00748669. Occupation debris, including iron slag found, on shore.
'E' SZ 00678862 Occupation debris.
'F' - SZ 00748661 & 'G' -SZ00738659. Occupation debris and iron slag found at a depth of 2ft below surface.
'H'-SZ 00608673. Occupation debris.
'J'-SZ 00638676. (Marked on plan but no description of any finds).
'K'-SZ 00688778. Occupation debris.
'L'-SZ 00608664. Mass of `Kimmeridge' shale cores - probably waste from a workshop. Teeth of ox and shells also found (b).
'M'-SZ 00458656. Romano-British pottery and shale found circa 1925. <1>

Pottery including New Forest Ware, and shale, were found before 1925 at the NW cliff scarp at SZ00588674 and above the W cliff at SZ00458656. <3>

Test-pitting (pre-1952) indicated the presence of Romano-British occupation evidenced by numerous finds. <4>

H P smith dug test pits in 1951 near the Hermitage (SZ00608664), and also in five locations N and SW of the lagoon and in two or three places W of the N landing stage. Nearly all of the pits revealed occupation evidence of the Iron Age to the late Roman period. The pits revealed Iron Age C pottery, samian and shale from both hand cut and lathe-turned armlet industries. Some amphorae fragments found suggested a regional pre-Caesarean trade with the continent. 3rd and 4th century oxidised sherds were recovered near the old landing stage and are now in the Dorset County Museum, some of Smith's finds are in Poole Museum. The island was examined again in the summer of 1963 and 3rd and 4th century oxidised sherds were recovered near the old landing stage and are now in the Dorset County Museum. <2-6>

Occupation debris perhaps Iron Age `A' to late Roman with waste from Kimmeridge shale armlet industry was discovered mainly on the north half of Green Island.

Pottery, including `New Forest' ware, and shale, were found before 1925 at SZ 00588674 ('B'-see Authy 1) and ('M')-SZ 00458656. Test pits by H.P. Smith in 1951 at various locations on the island (see 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'G', 'H', 'K', & 'L' of authority 1) showed occupation remains, including Iron Age 'C' pottery, samian, shale waste and iron slag. Subsequent excavation by Calkin near ('H') - SZ 00608673 revealed an occupation layer with some Iron Age 'A' and 'B' pottery but mainly 'C', a Hengistbury class sherd, fragments of amphorae and shale workers waste. Oxidized sherds (in Dorset County Museum), some of 3rd or 4th century, were found at SZ 00708679. Poole Museum holds some of H P Smith's finds. <6>

<1> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 20-AUG-52 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<1.1> Bromby, A, Oral: Mr A Bromby (Verbal communication). SWX8212.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1955, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1953, 69 (Serial). SDO53.

<3> Farrar, R A H, 1963, Iron Age and Roman occupation on Green Island, Poole Harbour, p104-105 (Article in serial). SWX7669.

<4> Farrar, R A H, 1966, The ancient occupation of Green Island, Poole Harbour, p121 (Article in serial). SWX7355.

<5> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1967, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1966, 121 (Serial). SDO66.

<6> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 597 (Monograph). SDO150.

<7> Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey, IOP 53, 54 (Index). SDO147.

<8> Poole Maritime Trust digital archive (Digital archive). SDO17280.

<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, 457497 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 13 2024 8:21AM