Monument record MDO4906 - Bussey Stool Camp, Tarrant Gunville

An Iron Age hillfort consisting of a bank and ditch enclosing an oval area of 2.23 hectares at the southern end of a spur. The hillfort is known locally as Caesar's Camp. The enclosure has two entrances, one on the north-western side and another on the south-eastern side, both about five metres wide and flanked by the out-turned ends of the banks. An area of the bank to the north of the south-eastern entrance has been reduced through ploughing in the past. In 1972 the better-preserved parts of the bank were reported as being around 34 feet across and 6 feet high, and the ditch 28 feet across and 5 feet deep.

An early Iron Age fort consisting of a single rampart with an outer ditch, an out-turned entrance on the north west and a simple entrance on the south east. Generally in good condition. <1>

ST 93021560 A univallate Iron Age fort known locally as 'Caesars Camp' <4.1> It remains much as described by RCHM <3> with an inner bank up to 1.7m high and 3.0m above the bottom of the 1.6m deep outer ditch. There is an outturned entrance in the north west with an opposed simple entrance in the southeast and the whole of the site some 2.4 hectares in area is densely afforested. Slight unsurveyable circular depressions averaging 4.0m in diameter scattered around the interior may be the sites of huts but they may equally well represent the positions of grubbed out trees. Surveyed at 1:2500 on permatrace (Part published on CR paper-copy). <4>

<1> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 08-APR-54 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(ST 93021560) Camp (NR)

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1972, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North), 96 (Monograph). SDO99.

‘(32) IRON AGE HILL-FORT (930156), at Bussey Stool Park, 450 ft. above sea-level, occupies a level site at the S. end of a Chalk spur. It is an oval, univallate enclosure of 5½ acres, with entrances on the N.W. and S.E. The earthwork is planted with trees and much of it, especially the defences, is barely accessible on account of the thick undergrowth. Where well-preserved the bank is 34 ft. across and 6 ft. high; the ditch is 28 ft. across and 5 ft. deep. The entrances are about 15 ft. wide, flanked by the out-turned ends of the banks. On the N. of the S.E. entrance some 80 ft. of the bank has been removed. (Sumner, Cranborne Chase, 31.)’

<4> Barrett, G, Various, Field Investigators Comments GB, F2 GB 15-MAR-78 (Unpublished document). SDO17369.

<4.1> Farquarson, R, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments: R Farquarson, Bussey Stool Farm, Eastbury Estates (Verbal communication). SDO18415.

<5> English Heritage, Scheduled Monument revision, 24-JUL-2002 (Scheduling record). SDO18414.

<6> Lock, G, and Ralston, I, 2017, Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland [ONLINE], EN3613 (Digital archive). SDO17130.

<7> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/097 RCHME Inventory: Dorset IV (North) (Unpublished document). SDO17498.

<8> Historic England, Historic England Archive, P11363 (Index). SDO14738.

DRAWING OF CAMPS IN BUSSEY STOOL PARK (ANCIENT EARTHWORKS OF CRANBORNE CHASE/31) WITH SECTS. DRAWN BY HEYWOOD SUMNER 1912 Photographer: UNKNOWN Donor: UNKNOWN Copyright: UNKNOWN Original negative held by: UNKNOWN

<9> National Record of the Historic Environment, 209944 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 22 2024 2:19PM