Monument record MDO7921 - Woodhouse Hill, Studland

Corney, M, 2012, Construction of a new garden store at Hill Close, Studland, Dorset. Results of an archaeological investigation. (Unpublished document). SDO14585.

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1950, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1949, 68 (Serial). SDO49.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1953, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1952, 92 (Serial). SDO52.

<3> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1956, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1954, 77-79 (Serial). SDO54.

<4> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1956, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1955, 125-126 (Serial). SDO55.

<5> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1957, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1956, 75 (Serial). SDO56.

<6> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1959, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1957, 106 (Serial). SDO57.

<7> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1959, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1958, 105-106 (Serial). SDO58.

<8> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1966, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1965, 142-207 (Serial). SDO65.

<9> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘(46) Woodhouse Hill (SZ 08 SW). Buildings and Huts in two groups, dating perhaps from just before the Roman conquest to the 4th century A.D., were excavated by Mr. N. H. Field in 1952–8 on the S. slopes of a spur of sandstone 200 ft. above sea level. Excavation between the groups was insufficient to disprove presence of further buildings.
In the N. group (03128220) slight lines of stones and traces of post-holes suggested two rounded huts (D) and (E) perhaps of the mid 1st century A.D.; the western (D) of 16 ft. by 14 ft. was succeeded on the same site by a roughly rectangular hut (C), measuring 18 ft. by 14 ft., with a central hearth, paved threshold to N.E. and a clay 'shelf' 6 ins. high on W. A ditch to E., 3 ft. wide and 1½ ft. deep at N., increasing in size to S., was filled in when, according to the excavator, hut C was extended by the addition of sheds on all sides save the W. to measure 26 ft. by 23 ft. Finds on the 'shelf' included a samian platter of c. 65–80, a brooch, and a coin of Vespasian of A.D. 73; the date of abandonment seemed to be c. 85. Pieces of crucibles for copper-working were associated with huts (D) and (E).
The Buildings on Woodhouse Hill, Studland After N.H. Field
N. of these remains were two rectangular buildings or 'cottages', nearly end to end on slightly different alignments, with unmortared sandstone and flint footings some 2 ft. to 3 ft. wide, probably for cob walls. Each building, terraced into the westerly hill-slope, measured 36½ ft. to 37 ft. by 21½ ft., with an entrance 4½ ft. to 5½ ft. wide in the S. wall, and, in the W. building (B), possibly a corresponding N. entrance, perhaps an addition. Gaps in the E. walls were interpreted as double entrances. Floors were largely of clay and earth. The E. building (A), perhaps with an eccentric line of posts bisecting the long axis, for which, however, the evidence is insecure, had a hearth W. of centre, clay platforms in N.W. and S.W. corners, and an internal gully with round sump E. of the S. entrance. Finds from (A) included a chalk loom-weight and shale spindle-whorls, also iron slag and parts of an iron cauldron from the E. part of the building. Five coins of 259–96 and coarse pottery indicated occupation in the 3rd and perhaps the first half of the 4th century. The W. building (B) may have been divided into aisles by two rows of four or five posts, for which again the evidence is slight, and, by revetted changes of floor-level from W. to E., into three rooms, identified by the excavator as a dwelling-room with hearth in S.W. corner, byre and workshop respectively. A mass of stones 10 ft. long and 6 ft. wide, revetting the W. or dwelling-room, had two concavities in the E. side identified as heads of ox-stalls between N. and S. doorways. Evidence for an internal door between dwelling-room and 'byre' and a very low window in the adjacent S. wall is insecure. Most finds came from the E. end where there were a knife, a spike, and some slag. A coin of Allectus (293–6) below the floor and coarse pottery above it suggested construction and occupation in the 4th century.
In the S. group (03128217) five hearths and slight scatters of stones were attributed to seven huts of which the most certain (J) was probably oval about 30 ft. long by 20 ft. and perhaps of c. A.D. 25–75. The finds of pottery and brooches from the other 'huts' (fn. 24) were of similar date, except at hut (I) probably of the 2nd to 3rd centuries. Two parallel lines of walling 34 ft. long and 44 ft. apart were attributed to a barn-like building (F), not earlier than c. 180 and perhaps of the 3rd century, but no firm traces of E. and W. walls were found. N. of (F), a line of flints and sandstone 24 ft. long and 1 ft. wide running N.W. to S.E., and a gully 2 ft. to 3 ft. wide and 1 ft. deep running at right angles to it, were ascribed to a rectangular building (G) with internal partition, preceding (F) and of later 1st century to early 3rd century.
More substantial remains (H) to E. consisted initially of a rectangular building, 26 ft. E.-W. by 16 ft., apparently of the late 3rd century, divided into two rooms of which the eastern was interpreted as a byre, with two ox-stalls as in (B) and with a 5 ft. wide door in its S. wall. An easterly extension marked, however, by little more than a N. wall 23 ft. long, was apparently added subsequently when the 'byre' of phase I was possibly adapted for living quarters or storage; the extension contained a substantial central clay hearth on a stone base 4½ ft. by 3 ft. and a walled recess to N. An irregular line of walling running N. and then N.W. for 19 ft. from the W. end of the extension was interpreted as a new byre of phase II. Pottery, mostly from a rubbish-pit in the S.E. corner of the original building, suggested occupation in the 4th century; iron spikes and nails, two turned shale armlet cores, a baked clay sling-stone with the impression of a grain of Spelt wheat, and animal bones, were also found. The nearest remains of 'Celtic' fields (Ancient Field Group (29)) are ½ m. to S. on Ballard Down. (Dorset Procs. LXXXVII (1965), 142–207.)’

<10> Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey, IOP 115 (Index). SDO147.

‘The site on the E. slope of Woodhouse Hill, E. of coniferous woodland lies in rough grassland. The N. part of the field was levelled for a tennis court in the 1920s.’ 7/7/D.’

Record last edited

Sep 5 2024 3:48PM