Monument record MDO47563 - Rectangular enclosure, Gussage All Saints

A rectangular enclosure with one bowed side (described by one source as a "tombstone shaped" enclosure) is visible as a cropmark on air photographs. It is around 0.6 hectares in area. A ditch appears to run east from its eastern side for about 50 metres.

The enclosure appears to be connected with the nearby multiple and single ditch linear system ST 91 SE 216, the two appearing to share alignments. The enclosure is close to the Iron Age site ST 91 SE 109 and is on the edge of the field system ST 91 SE 12, although the fields are broadly on a different alignment. During excavation of the "working hollow" ST 91 SE 109, located just 10 metres or so outside the enclosure. The trench was extended to locate the enclosure. A protected area of chalk circa 4 metres wide indicated the former presence of a bank, just outside which was an eroded area with numerous root holes, interpreted as a former hedge line. Some post holes were found within the enclosure.

<1> Green, Martin, 1986, Excavations in Home Field, Down Farm, Gussage St Michael. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society 107, 171-173 (Article in serial). SDO20370.

<2> Bowen, H C, 1990, The Archaeology of Bokerley Dyke, Area Plan 2 (Monograph). SWX800.

<3> Bowen, H C, 1991, The Archaeology of Bokerley Dyke: Inventory, 26 (Monograph). SDO14864.

<4> Barrett, J, Bradley, R and Green, M, 1991, Landscape, Monuments and Society: the prehistory of Cranborne Chase, 223-4 (Monograph). SDO16633.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1307310 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 16 2023 2:09PM