Monument record MDO8755 - St Catherine's Hill, Christchurch - oval earthwork

Earthwork remains of an oval enclosure, it has been interpreted as a possible hillfort but appears doubtful. The banked enclosure and the remains of an external ditch are visible on 1940s aerial photographs and current Lidar imagery and the features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

An earthwork, oval in shape, and occupying about one third of an acre, consisting of a broad rampart with faint indications of an outside ditch. No entrance visible. No flints or foundations discovered in rampart. (2)

Hill fort on St Catherine's Hill. (3)

The situation and size of the works of this enclosure suggest that it was constructed for pastoral rather than defensive purposes. (4)

A small ovoid enclosure consisting of a broad flattened bank up to 10.0m in width and 1.5m in height with faint outer ditch. In the northern part of the enclosed area and adjacent to the rampart is a small platform some 16.0m by 12.0m and 1.1m in height. No trace of an entrance is visible on the ground or on AP Air Ministry 719/47/91 where the work is clearly visible. (See Illustrations Card). The origin and purpose of this work must remain in doubt. Resurveyed at 1:2500. (5)

The banked enclosure and the remains of an external ditch are visible on 1940s aerial photographs and current Lidar imagery <8-9>. The enclosure measures 55m by 43m at its widest extents, with the east side longer than the west side. The enclosing banked earthwork is up to 10m wide and a narrow external ditch is visible on its west and southwest sides. The interior of the earthwork appears slightly hollowed out, sloping up to surrounding ground level at its northern end.

The enclosure is under low heathland vegetation and tree cover on a 2014 VAP and not clearly visible <1->.

The features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 edition OS map (Map). SWX1540.

<2> Williams-Freeman, J P, 1915, Field Archaeology as illustrated by Hampshire, 402 (Monograph). SWX4175.

<3> 1900, The Victoria history of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight 1, 381 (Unspecified Type). SWX3910.

<4> Sumner, Heywood, 1931, Local Papers, 26 (Monograph). SWX3911.

<5> Aldsworth, F G, Various, Field Investigators Comments FGA, F1 FGA 28-MAR-69 (Unpublished document). SWX1161.

<6> Watkins, D R, 1991, St Catherine's Hill, Christchurch; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, p183 (Article in serial). SDO10153.

<7> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1992, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1991, 183 (Serial). SDO91.

<8> Royal Air Force, 28-MAY-47, RAF_CPE_UK_2102 RP 3279-80 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15579.

<9> XX-XXX-2015, Environment Agency DTM Lidar 1m (Aerial Photograph). SDO15442.

<10> GetMapping, 2014, Digital vertical aerial photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDO14101.

<11> National Record of the Historic Environment, 458482 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 23 2023 5:54PM