SDO14105 - Chapel Hill, Kington Magna, Dorset. Archaeological Watching Brief

‘Wessex Water proposed to replace an existing water main with a new pipeline immediately to the south of the village of Kington Magna in Dorset (NGR SU 765 230). As part of the environmental mitigation strategy and following the advice of the County Archaeological Officer, Wessex Archaeology was commissioned to undertake an archaeological watching brief along the pipeline route, as it was recognised that there was the potential for the presence of archaeological deposits in this area. The route of the proposed new mains pipe runs between Little Kington Cottage (NGR SU 7733 2300) in the east, going down Chapel Hill alongside the road to a point in South Street (NGR SU 7630 2275) in the west, for a total length of c. 1.1km. No evidence was found for the continuation of the medieval field system (present to the north around Kington Manor Farm) to the south of Chapel Hill, although the possible quarrying disturbance in Plot 3 may be medieval (or earlier). The grubbed-out field boundaries evident as slight ridges in Plot 1 show that a relict system does survive outside of the centre of medieval activity around Kington Manor Farm. Finds earlier than early post-medieval in date were notable only in their absence, perhaps suggesting that the topsoil of the fields in the watching brief area have been disturbed in modern times. This would probably be a result of past ploughing, and subsequent soil replenishment and manuring.’