SDO21383 - An Iron Age Port in Poole Harbour, Dorset

‘Two stone moles that are aligned with each other across a navigable channel in a remote part of Poole Harbour, Dorset have been dated to the third century BC. They are built like harbour walls, with a breakwater slope on one side, vertical sides like shallow quays on the other, and wide paved top surfaces. The internal structure of the moles consists of layers of different materials supported by timber piles. No comparative structures are known from the Iron Age in northern Europe, and it is possible that the moles were built initially as a demonstration of social power and authority at least as much as a facility for serving the interests of shipping. The moles are now under water and inter-tidal mud, at a level that suggests a relative sea level rise of around 3.5m since they were built.’