Monument record MDO6063 - Romano-British settlement enclosure at Oakley Farm, Sixpenny Handley

Romano-British settlement surrounded by bank and ditch forming an irregular enclosure, visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs and associated with an extensive prehistoric field system. Surface finds of pottery, including one fragment of Samian ware, were reported from this site in the 1950s. Some internal features are also visible.

(21) ROMANO-BRITISH SETTLEMENT, S.W. of Oakley Farm (008181), lies on the gentle N. slope of a spur at about 340 ft. above O.D. It has for long been levelled by ploughing, but it is visible on air photographs (C.U.A.P., RC 8 V223, WX 65, 66) as part of what appears to be an irregular ditched enclosure with occupation areas inside it, associated with 'Celtic' fields (Group (85), p.118). Pottery, including a sherd of decorated samian, has been found on the site. <2>

SU 006179. Durotrigian and Romano-British pottery by track (?) SW from settlement enclosure. <3>

Briggs, Peter, 2024, Summary report of magnetometry surveys on Oakley Farm, Sixpenny Handley. October and November 2024 (Unpublished document). SDO21273.

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1973, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1972, 93 (Serial). SDO72.

'A native settlement on Handley Down; nat. grid SU(41)/008181. Mr. Montagu-Puckle reports the discovery of what appears to be a native occupation site in Handley parish astride the footpath about 300 yds. S.W. of Oakley Farm and rather more than a half mile from the Oakley Down settlement (see above). Pottery, including a decorated Samian sherd, and numerous 'pot-boilers', were observed in dark soil on the surface. Mr. Montagu-Puckle believes the site to consist of an irregular ditched enclosure perhaps 2 or 3 acres in area, but a considerable portion under barley on the N. side of the hedge cannot at present be defined. Remains of a barrow not marked on O.S. exist on the S. side apparently just within the ditch. Existence of the ditch was proved by a small test pit, and a limited excavation to fix its position is planned for 1951.'

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1975, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume V (East), 69 (Monograph). SDO129.

‘(21) ROMANO-BRITISH SETTLEMENT, S.W. of Oakley Farm (008181), lies on the gentle N. slope of a spur at about 340 ft. above O.D. It has for long been levelled by ploughing, but it is visible on air photographs (C.U.A.P., RC 8 V223, WX 65, 66) as part of what appears to be an irregular ditched enclosure with occupation areas inside it, associated with 'Celtic' fields (Group (85), p. 118). Pottery, including a sherd of decorated samian, has been found on the site.’

<3> Historic England, Historic England Archive, Object Number: RCH01/091. (Index). SDO14738.

Object Title: RCHME Inventory: Dorset V (East). Scope & Content: Annotated publication proofs for Dorset V, East Dorset, published in 1974. Also includes original surveys, drawings and field notes, and unpublished material. Original survey material has been catalogued.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 213494 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 28 2025 4:45PM