Monument record MDO1733 - D-shaped enclosure, Nether Cerne

A possible D-shaped enclosure is visible as an approximately 40m long by 30m widebanked earthwork on current Environment Agency lidar imagery, where it comprises a wide spread bank on its south and west sides, with a slight hollow contained by this and a further possible narrow bank enclosing its northeast side. It was digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Cerne and Piddle Valleys AIM project.

(SY 68179875) Scheduled area includes this enclosure (see illust.) which is described as 'probably Iron Age'. <1>

SY 68179875. Small D-shaped enclosure within a 'Celtic' field system. It has a slightly sloping interior of 75ft by 50ft, but its bank is much spread. A 'Celtic' field lynchet, itself much disturbed by later ploughing, appears to spring from the enclosure bank on the north, suggesting a contemporary relationship. The lynchet below the enclosure, 7ft high, has also been disturbed (see plan). <2>

SY 683985. "Ancient settlement SW of Incombe Wood". Scheduled. <3>

A possible D-shaped enclosure is visible as an approximately 40m long by 30m widebanked earthwork on current Environment Agency lidar imagery, where it comprises a wide spread bank on its south and west sides, with a slight hollow contained by this and a further possible narrow bank enclosing its northeast side. It was digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Cerne and Piddle Valleys AIM project. <8>

<1> Department of the Environment, DOE (IAM) Ancient Monuments Record Form, 1967 (Index). SDO17347.

<2> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 322 (Monograph). SDO136.

Romano-British settlement (Nether Cerne (5), at SY 682985). There is a small D-shaped enclosure, (a), 300 yds. N. of this, at 68179875. To the S., the group was contiguous with 'Celtic' field Group (36), about 700967. The fields lie between 350 ft. and 650 ft. O.D. on the N.-S. Chalk ridge between rivers Cerne and Piddle, the spurs E. and W. of it and the re-entrants separating them. Gravel, clay and sand lie over the Chalk in the area of 'Celtic' fields N. and W. of settlement Nether Cerne (5). (fn. 1) There are many small quarries in this area and 1,300 yds. S., in Charminster, about 684975. Some quarries are cut into and along lynchet faces.
Settlement Nether Cerne (5), showing occupation remains in a disturbed area of some 3 acres in and S.W. of the enclosure described under this number in Dorset I, lies at least in part on older 'Celtic' fields. The enclosure is a field with a ditch dug along two of its sides, 50 yds. and 40 yds. long; the N.W. side is a lynchet and any S.W. side has been destroyed. 'New Forest' beaker fragments were found amongst sherds in rabbit scrapes here. Samian ware was found amongst other pottery 100 yds. S.W. of it (Dorset Procs., 74 (1952), 91: (ii) to (iv)). Enclosure (a) here shown, has a slightly sloping interior of 75 ft. by 50 ft., but its bank is much spread. A 'Celtic' field lynchet, itself much disturbed by later ploughing, appears to spring from the enclosure bank on the N., suggesting a contemporary relationship. The lynchet below the enclosure, 7 ft. high, has been disturbed.

<3> Department of the Environment, 1977, Department of the Environment (IAM) Ancient Monuments of England Vol 2, 77 (Monograph). SWX2300.

<4> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/096 RCHME Inventory: Dorset III (Central) (Unpublished document). SDO17384.

<5> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 881821 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME: Enclosure `a' in Celtic Field Group (35), Dorset. Also, a profile of `bank' not for illustration.Bibliographic References : 1) Pt 2, Monument (5)

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 882316 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME: Enclosure `a' in Celtic Field Group (35), Dorset. Bibliographic References : 1) Pt 2, Monument (5), Group (35).

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 453017 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<8> Environment Agency, 16-NOV-2021, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO18034.

Record last edited

Oct 25 2024 12:24PM