Monument record MDO41153 - Possible post medieval extractive pits, Knighton Heath, Poole

A cluster of probable post medieval extractive pits on Knighton Heath are visible on 1940's aerial photographs. The features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

A cluster of probable post medieval extractive pits on Knighton Heath are visible on 1940s aerial photographs (1).

The features comprise three irregular scarped depressions between 18m and 35m in length and 16m and 25m in width. These appear to be very shallow scrapes. In addition there are two small sub-square hollows in the southwest of the group and a further irregular linear cut 32m long, with a narrow 25m long linear extending south off the centre of this. The group of features are surroundied by multiple modern vehicle tracks and are also situated to the northeast of a group of small sub-circular earthworks (MDO41154) that may be military in origin.

The features may be associated with post medieval extraction on Knighton Heath ; the heathland on which the features are situated in 1945 (part of Knighton Heath) is typically scarred by widescale post medieval extraction, which is characteristically shallow but with some areas of deeper extraction also present. However, the features may alternatively be associated with early 20th century military activity on the Dorset heaths; probably a military training area.

The site is still open heath on current Google Earth imagery but the features are no longer visible. They were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP.

<1> Royal Air Force, 30-OCT-45, RAF/106G/T/16 FVp1 7001-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16043.

Record last edited

Dec 7 2021 11:13AM