Monument record MDO21502 - Iron Age/Romano-British field system, Compton Valence

Field systems:- taken from air photos in Jan-March 1949 by RJC Atkinson. <1>

(SY 5970 9360) "Settlement" At SY 597936, on the summit of the hill, a settlement is visible on air photos, in association with the remains of a field system and trackway. <2>

CELTIC field system. <3>

Centred at SY 600937: Field System.
SY 59749347 `A`: enclosure.
SY 59789362 `B`: enclosures.
SY 59799352 to SY 60159351: trackway. `c`.

A. On the summit of the hill is a small square enclosure formed by a bank averaging 0.5m. High and 8.0m. Wide, except on the E. side, where it is lower and narrower, and a 6.0m. Wide gap probably denotes an entrance. The spread of the bank has given the interior an effect of being slightly raised above the general ground level.

B. 150m. NNE of `A` on a slight N. facing slope is a double enclosure, each section being rectangular, and the open E. end terminating at a steep slope. The N. & S. sides of the earthwork are formed by banks 7.0m. Wide and 0.6m. High. The W. bank is in part formed by a N.-S. lynchet, and a N.-S. glacis type bank divides the earthwork into 2 sections. A possible entrance exists at the S.E. corner of the W. enclosure.

Enclosures `A` and `B` have no outer ditch surrounding the banks.

C. An E-W, apparently double lynchet way, grass covered, which terminates at each end at what appear to be modern field
boundary banks. The trackway is possibly associated with the enclosures.

There is no trace of the settlement mentioned in T.4., & the enclosures do not necessarily signify that a settlement is in that precise locality. 25.0m. S. of `B` is a roughly circular depression 11.0m. In diameter and 1.3m. Deep, which seems to be a swallow hole and unconnected with the enclosure.

The field system consists for the most part of extremely pronounced field banks and lynchets, forming small irregular fields. To the NW. of COMPTON BOTTOM these fields are at present cultivated within their original boundaries. Along the sides of COMPTON BOTTOM the system is well formed, but on the top and S. sides of the enclosure hill the system is fragmentary. See AP/CPE/UK/2431/4144-5. <4>

A celtic field system of probable Iron Age or Roman origin, is visible as earthworks and cropmarks on aerial photographs, lying on the south facing slopes to the north of Compton Bottom. <5-6>

<1> Atkinson, R J C, 1949, spec 6 inch (RJCA 1.3.49) (Map). SWX1583.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1953, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1952, 92 (Serial). SDO52.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 105 (Monograph). SDO97.

<4> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 22-JAN-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<5> 14-APR-1984, NMR OS/84029 174-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11271.

<6> Royal Air Force, 22-JAN-1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2431 4145-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11096.

<7> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/088 RCHME Inventory: Dorset I (West) and Revision (Unpublished document). SDO17367.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 450995 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 6 2024 1:33PM