Monument record MDO7709 - Late prehistoric battery bank, Stokeford Heath, East Stoke

Fragments of a linear bank are visible on aerial photographs of Stokeford Heath, East Stoke. It is considered probable this could be the remains of a Late Prehistoric defensive battery bank or dyke. Gravel quarrying and military activities in this area have destroyed parts of the earthwork, which now survives as three individual sections of varying lengths. This earthwork forms part of a group of similar monuments (MDO7706-10) which extend discontinuously for a distance of approximately 5.5km along a natural ridge between Stoke Heath and Jubilee Plantation.

Battery Bank consists of a bank with a ditch on the outer side, the course of which is irregular. The bank is composed of earth and small flints and the ditch in preserved sections appears to be wide but shallow. Gravel workings have erased much of the earthwork and threaten further sections. <1>

Section 'D' (see individual records for the other surviving sections) - SY 87548787 to SY 87598787. Only a scarp of some 40 metres remains in the middle of old gravel workings. Resurveyed at 1:2500 on M.S.D. <3>

Fragments of a linear bank are visible on aerial photographs of Stokeford Heath, East Stoke <4-5>. It is considered probable this could be the remains of a Late Prehistoric defensive battery bank or dyke. Gravel quarrying and military activities in this area have destroyed parts of the earthwork, which now survives as three individual sections of varying lengths. Total length of this feature is approximately 194m. This earthwork forms part of a group of similar monuments (MDO7706-10) which extend discontinuously for a distance of approximately 5.5km along a natural ridge between Stoke Heath (NGR 84432 89408) and Jubilee Plantation (NGR 88940 87469). This feature was plotted during the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project. It is not clearly visible on the most recent comprehensive aerial images available to the project.

<1> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 19-AUG-1952 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 518 (Monograph). SDO150.

<3> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F2 JGB 29-JUN-1981 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<4> Royal Air Force, 10-FEB-1945, RAF 106G/LA/128 7093-94 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13188.

<5> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 3059-60 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13189.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 455138 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1096773 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 10 2024 2:35PM