Monument record MDO567 - Dungeon Hill, Buckland Newton

A hill-fort occupying the summit of Dungeon Hill, also known as Dungeon Camp and sometimes known as Dunset in the past. Earthworks consisting of single rampart and ditch form an Irregular oval enclosure enclosing an area of about nine acres. In 1952 the best preserved parts of the rampart were described as around 8 feet high and the ditch about 13 feet deep. In 1881 a small excavation of the ditch found ‘more Roman black pottery’ and several pieces of quern stones; these appear to have been in the bottom filling of the ditch, and may perhaps have been Iron Age in date. Nevertheless, there have been surface finds of Roman pottery, tiles and other material have been found on the hill, suggesting later use.

Dungeon Hill Fort is a single-rampart, ditched enclosure covering nine acres on the summit of Dungeon Hill. There are slight traces of an outer bank on the eastern side and the causewayed entrance on the south side appears to be the main entrance. The enclosure is roughly oval in shape. The bank is 8 ft above the internal area and a maximum of 21 ft above the bottom of the ditch. There are modern entrances on both sides towards the northen end. In the late 18th century the owner, Mr Foy, cleared the fort of woodland and recovered human bones, antique pickaxes, sword blades, Roman coins and other remains. Excavations in 1881 recovered Roman pottery including New Forest ware, and seven fragments of Roman querns, together with a large quantity of building stone. The interior of the camp contained Roman tegulae and other tiles. <1, 2, 4>

Dungeon Hill (name confirmed at Castle Hill Farm), is a probable Iron Age hillfort, univallate except for the east side where there is an outer bank. The work measures overall 425.0m north-south by a maximum 165.0m transversely. The inner rampart is 7.0m wide and 1.5m high. The ditch averages 13.0m in width and is up to 6.0m in depth from the crest of the rampart. The outer bank is 7.0m wide and 0.7m high. The original entrance is at the south end, and is a simple causewayed entrance 3.0m wide. The earthworks are crowned by large trees and the interior is level pasture. No surface finds were made. On the east and west sides are modern causewayed entrances which pass through the rampart by brick tunnels.
Published 1:2500 AM survey revised. <6>

ST 690 074. Dungeon Hill. Listed in gazetteer as a univallate hillfort covering 3.6ha. <7>

<1> Hutchins, J, 1868, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. Volume 3. 3rd edition, 708 (Monograph). SDO11486.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1900, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club for 1900, 203-204 (Serial). SDO14.

'Dungeon or Dunset Camp. This is sometimes called Dunset, a provincialism meaning a small hill, but as the dimensions furnished in our programme of this day say it is 500 yards long and 200 yards broad, I think it must emerge from the small-hill set. It probably has its name of Dungeon from a small tower left in the camp, and the plentiful supply of tiles, stones, and building materials left, justify the idea.

Dungeon is about a mile north of Buckland Newton, and 13 or 14 miles due north of Maiden Castle. On the visit of the Dorset Field Club to this camp in July, 1878, two pieces of a Roman quern were found in one of the valla. In making small researches in 1881 in the vallum, three pieces of Roman pottery were discovered; one, the base of a small well-made drinking cup with fluted sides of the Fordingbridge pottery; the others of black and fine red ware. There are plenty of Roman remains inside the camp, consisting of flanged and other tiles of different makes.

On September 9th, 1881, a further excavation was made into the vallum nearest Castle Hill House. Here more Roman black pottery was found far under the raised materials, and a large quantity of stone brought there from a distance, and seven fragments of Roman querns. One of these was the upper half of a very fine stone with a three-inch well-cut perforation through its centre - a work of no small difficulty, as the stone is of old red standstone with quartz crystals, and consequently excessively hard.

The shape of this camp is oval, with one ditch. The vallum is raided from the outside, above the level of the camp itself. Its situation is most imposing, commanding the whole of the Blackmore valley; and as a imilitary position it is of immense strength and importance, it s main features closesly coinciding with those noticeable in Maiden Casltle, and again with those of Cadbury Castle in Somerset.

It has not, perhaps , been noticed that Maiden Castle, Dungeon Castle, and Cadbury Castle are almost exactly equi-distant from one another, about 14 miles apart, in a straight line from south to north - in fact, in as straight a line as could be had with due care for their physical and strategical requirements. Each occupies a high position commanding a vast area to the north-east and west, the consecutive work of the same people for the same end or purpose. ..'

<3> Crawford, 17-JUL-1928, Crawford 429/16/46 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17415.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1900, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch two (Map). SDO11594.

Dungeon Hill (NAT) Camp (NR)

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 169 (Monograph). SDO97.

'(6) DUNGEON HILL FORT occupies the summit of Dungeon Hill (610 ft.) in a nearly isolated end of the parish, 2¾ m. N.E. of the church. The work consists of an irregular oval enclosure (internal area 9 acres) with a single rampart and ditch; there are slight traces of an outer bank on most of the E. side. The rampart rises 8 ft. above the internal area and a maximum of 21 ft. above the bottom of the ditch. There is an entrance at the S. end but the rampart at this point appears to have been partly destroyed perhaps to widen the casuseway across the ditch. There are modern entrances towards the N. end on both sides; that to the W. is cut through a projecting part of the defences.'

<5> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1962 (Map). SWX1540.

Dungeon Hill (NAT) Hill Fort (NR)

<6> Phillips, A S, Various, Field Investigators Comments ASP, F1 ASP 11-NOV-77 (Unpublished document). SWX3817.

<7> Hogg, A H A, 1979, British hillforts: an index (Monograph). SDO17414.

<8> Stewart, D, 2013, Dungeon Hill. A Geophysical Survey (Unpublished document). SDO16765.

<9> Lock, G, and Ralston, I, 2017, Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland [ONLINE], EN3591 (Digital archive). SDO17130.

<10> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 882531 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME: Dungeon Hill Camp, Minterne Magna, Dorset. 2 profiles across earthwork

<11> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS55/F167/6 (Index). SDO14738.

DUNGEON HILL CAMP AT BUCKLAND NEWTON. Photographer: unknown.

<12> National Record of the Historic Environment, 198773 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 27 2024 4:57PM