Monument record MDO712 - Prehistoric settlement on Giant Hill, Cerne Abbas

A series of earthworks on Giant Hill, including a linear bank (possibly earlier, but incorporated into the settlement), an oval enclosure, traces of hut circles and a series of pits. Features associated with the later prehistoric settlement are visible on aerial photographs and Environment Agency lidar imagery and were digitally plotted from these sources during the Dorset Upper Cerne and Piddle Valleys AIM project.

Settlement on Giant Hill, 600 yards NE of the Cerne Giant. It consists of a series of banks and enclosures. The greater strength of the main cross-bank may indicate that it was originally a cross-ridge dyke similar to ST 60 SE 38 and was subsequently incorporated into the settlement. The oval enclosure, south-west of this bank is about 45 yards by 35 yards and has two entrances. There are traces of two
hut-circles outside the oval and the remains of a third outside the bank. There are several pits, one of them older than the ditch of the oval enclosure. To the NE are the remains of a Celtic field system. <2>

The settlement is situated on a hill-top amid dense furze and bracken. The main bank and ditch, running from 'K' to 'L' (see plan) is a cross-ridge dyke. The bank and ditch are both 4.5m wide and 1.2m hgh and deep respectively. A weaker bank, similar in construction runs north from the dyke. The dyke appears to pre-date the hut circles on either side and is perhaps of Iron age origin. The hut-circles, 'B', 'C', 'J' and 'M' average about 12.0m in diameter each. 'B' has an entrance on the SSW and 'J' has a vague entrance on the SW, and is in very poor condition. 'M'' is a hut site scooped back into the hill and 'C' is covered with bramble and has no definable entrance. A large irregular depression at 'F' may be a badly damaged hut-circle and 'H' is too small for a hut circle but is possibly a storage pit.

The large oval enclosure has two original entrances and consists of a bank 3.5m wide and 0.4m high with an outer ditch 2.3m wide and 0.3m deep.

Other works consist of low field banks and lynchets up to 0.3m high. A poorly preserved bivallate trackway, 'D' to ''E', and some vague unsurveyable pits. All typical Iron Age/RB type. For circular bank at 'A' see ST 60 SE 27. <3>

OS APs (a) of this area show that the NE portion of the earthworks appears to have been ploughed out, cropmarks only remaining. This was confirmed on the ground, though high crop growth may have masked some vestigial traces. Elsewhere the site remains as described by auth 3. Revised at 1:2500 on MSD. <4>

Features associated with the later prehistoric settlement are visible on aerial photographs and Environment Agency lidar imagery. These include the oval enclosure, cross dykes and trackways, at least four possible hut circles and a wider area of pits than currently included in the SM area. Three sub-circular ditched hollows to the northwest of the main group are also visible on lidar. They are associated with curved outer banks and could possible be hut circles or features related to the settlement but they are also in an area of post medieval chalk pits and could possibly be later features. The whole lies within an area of later prehistoric fields which extend across the top and sides of Giants Hill. The field system and settlement features merge and the settlement is difficult to entirely demarcate. Field banks potentially associated with the settlement are recorded here, although might overlap with the wider field system which is recorded under MDO48446. The features were digitally plotted from a 1940s aerial photograph and lidar imagery during the Dorset Upper Cerne and Piddle Valleys AIM project. <10, 11>

<1> Ordnance Survey, c 1962, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 map, epoch five (Map). SDO13903.

(ST 66950225) Earthworks (NR)

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 82-83 (Monograph). SDO97.

‘(31) Settlement and Barrow, on Giant Hill about 600 yards N.N.E. of (28). The settlement consists of a series of banks and enclosures shown on the accompanying plan. The greater strength of the main crossbank may indicate that it was originally a bank across the ridge-top, similar to that described under (30), and that it was subsequently incorporated in the settlement. The oval enclosure, S.W. of this bank, is about 45 yards by 35 yards and has two entrances. Outside it are traces of two hut-circles and there are remains of a third outside the main bank. There are numerous pits mostly between the main dyke and that under (30). One of these impinges on and is presumably later than the ditch of the oval enclosure. To the N.E. of the settlement are remains of a Celtic field-system and about 150 yards N.E. of the main bank is a bowl barrow about 38 ft. in diam. and 2¾ ft. high; it has been disturbed.’

<3> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, 12-FEB-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<3.1> St Joseph, J K, 14-JUL-48, J K St Joseph BJ22 (Unpublished document). SDO17375.

<4> Barrett, G, Various, Field Investigators Comments GB, F2 GB 23-JUL-77 (Unpublished document). SDO17369.

<4.1> OS 74/088/225-26 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17373.

<5> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 881833 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME: Settlement on Giant Hill, Cerne Abbas

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, CC71/00532 (Index). SDO14738.

PLAN OF IA/RB SETTLEMENTS AND FIELD SYSTEM POSSIBLE IA CROSS-RIDGE DYKE. INCLUDES ST 60 SE 29. Photographer: UNKNOWNDonor: UNKNOWNCopyright: UNKNOWN

<7> Historic England, Historic England Archive, CC72/01463 (Index). SDO14738.

PLAN OF IA/RB SETTLEMENT AND FIELD SYSTEMS POSSIBLE CROSS-RIDGE DYKE. INCLUDES ST 60 SE 29

<8> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/088 RCHME Inventory: Dorset I (West) and Revision (Unpublished document). SDO17367.

<9> National Record of the Historic Environment, 198972 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<10> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 FP 1047 (Aerial Photograph). SDO20718.

<11> Environment Agency, 16-NOV-2021, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO18034.

Record last edited

Aug 21 2024 2:39PM