SWX8303 - Seven Heathland and Wetland Sites, Near Poole and Bournemouth, Dorset.

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by FPD Savills, on behalf of Lord Wimborne and the Trustees of the Canford Estate, to carry out a baseline archaeological desk-based assessment of seven heathland and wetland areas (hereafter referred to as 'the Sites'), near Poole and Bournemouth, in south-east Dorset. The Sites, which are all owned by the Canford Estate, comprise Lytchett Bay (centred on OS NGR SY 975 925), Upton Heath (NGR SY 985 950), Corfe Hills (NGR SY 995 969), Dunyeat's Hill (NGR SZ 015 965) and Arrowsmith Coppice (NGR SZ 017 965), Ferndown Common (NGR SU 068 003), Parley Common (NGR SU 095 002) and Holes Bay (NGR SZ 000 925). Most are Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and the overall aim of the Canford Estate is "to identify those areas of heathland and wetland with high ecological interest and seek to enhance the ecological value of these through positive management initiatives". This archaeological desk-based assessment forms part of a Review along with ecology, landscape study and hydrology, which initially aims "to establish the 'baseline' conditions for each individual area and to identify management issues". While two of the Sites, Holes Bay and Lytchett Bay, are wetland inter-tidal areas, the other Sites are all heathland areas. Heathland is a term used to describe areas of generally open landscape which are dominated by dwarf-shrub plants, particularly heather. Pollen analysis and soil science have shown that the heath is not a 'natural' landscape but that it developed as a result of woodland clearance by prehistoric man, mainly in the Bronze Age. Most of the known archaeological sites within the heathland Sites are Bronze Age barrows and the majority are Scheduled Monuments. Simon's Ground on Ferndown Common is the largest Bronze Age urnfield complex ever found in Britain. Other known sites include Iron Age and roman salt production sites around the shores of Holes Bay and Lytchett Bay. Late 19th century maps show evidence of brickworks, kilns and clay pits at Dunyeat's Hill and Ferndown Common probably connected with the development of Poole and Bournemouth. In addition to identifying upstanding field monuments, this assessment has confirmed the potential for buried archaeological remains to survive within the Sites, as at Simon's Ground. These buried remains are particularly vulnerable as they typically lie just below the surface. Proposals for the future management of archaeological monuments within the Sites can be formulated following a site visit to establish their condition and any threats to their integrity. The aims of any management proposals would be the continued conservation of the archaeological resource and the promotion of public access to and appreciation of the visible monuments. This could be achieved by removing or controlling any threats to the monuments/remains, stabilising their condition and providing opportunities for interpretation and presentation.