Monument record MDO8614 - Iron Age occupation, Winton Primary School, Bournemouth

Observations during building of a new primary school revealed a ditch and a small pit. The ditch was of late Iron Age date and interpreted as a probable field boundary. Very few Iron Age features have been recorded in this part of Bournemouth. The archaeologists on site felt that this ditch suggests agricultural use of at least part of the former heathland between the Stour valley and the coast. No evidence was recovered to date the pit, but it was thought likely to be of similar date to the ditch, and possibly a fire pit.

Wessex Archaeology undertook a watching brief during the construction of a new primary school building at Oswald Road, Winton. Two archaeological features were recorded cut into the natural gravel. One was a V-shaped ditch 1.15m wide and 0.35m deep, which ran northwards before turning towards the northwest. It was filled with sandy loam soil containing Late Iron Age Durotrigian black-burnished pottery, a fragment of fired clay and some burnt flint. The base and west side of the ditch were cut by stakeholes. About three metres west of the ditch was an oval pit 1.15 x 0.95m across and up to 0.15m deep, filled with a coarse sandy loam containing much charcoal, especially near the sides, where there was also some evidence of burning. This feature may be a fire pit. It is undated but it appears to be of some antiquity and could be contemporaneous with the ditch.

This was the first recorded Iron Age activity in this part of Bournemouth and suggests agricultural use of at least part of this area of heathland. (1)
.

<1> 1992, Winton Primary School, Oswald Road, Bournemouth, Dorset. Archaeological Watching Brief (Unpublished document). SDO12564.

‘With the exception of two unidentified features observed in drainage trenches, ditch 126 and pit 121 were the only features of archaeological interest detected.
Ditch 126 is probably of late Iron Age origin and seems likely to have functioned as a field boundary.
Pit 121 produced no dating evidence but the nature of its fill (leached of humic content), implies it may be of some antiquity and could be seen as associated with Ditch 121. Its function is obscure – it is of unusual size and shape to represent a domestic hearth and may be interpreted as a simple fire-pit.
Ditch 126 represents the only known recorded Iron Age feature in this area of Bournemouth, and, as such, is of some interest. It suggests agricultural use of at least part of the former heathland between the Stour valley and the coast, upon which Bournemouth was built.’

Record last edited

Oct 10 2013 3:03PM