Monument record MDO8374 - Pillow mound, Eastington Farm, Worth Matravers

A pillow mound situated on a natural terrace of a south-facing slope, overlooking Seacombe Bottom. The monument has a mound composed of earth and gravel, with maximum dimensions of 18 metres in length, 6 metres in width and about 1 metre in height. To the north, east and west, the mound is flanked by a quarry ditch 1.5 metres wide. One of three potential pillow mounds to the south of Eastington Farm buildings. Only one has been scheduled the others being interpreted as terraces by the NMR.

SY 98427770. Three pillow mounds lie on a terrace (see SY 97 NE 56) south of Eastington Farm. (a). Long mound lying east-west on a slope of 6o immediately above a scarp about 16ft high. It is 60ft long and 21-25ft wide surrounded on three sides by a ditch which, at most, on the east is 3 1/2ft below the top of the mound but merges with the scarp on the south. Although slightly assymetrical, the earthwork gives an impression of sharpness and regularity; its ends are almost rectangular. There is no evidence that the terrace immediately north of it has been ploughed since the mound was constructed. Plan. The two other 'mounds' are sloping shelves constructed under the scarp of the upper terrace.

(b). 20 yards north of (a), is about 50ft long and 6ft wide across its sloping top with a south scarp about 5ft high returning to merge with the slope at either end. ©. 30 yards to the west in a comparable position but cut back into the face of the scarp, measures 27ft by 15ft with a downhill scarp about 5ft high and a top sloping east and south. (see plan with SY 97 NE 14). <1>

No change: surveyed at 1:2500. Under permanent pasture on land recently aquired by the National
Trust. <4>

One of three potential pillow mounds visible as earthworks on lidar to the south of Eastington Farm, Worth Matravers <9-10>. This mound is 20m long and flanked on it's southern side by a ditch. The other mounds are described separately in MDO29204-5. Only one has been scheduled the others being interpreted as terraces by the NMR. The features were digitally recorded during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset).

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 415 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘(32) PILLOW MOUNDS, three (98427770; Plate 207), lie on a terrace near the settlement remains at Eastington (30). The largest (a) is a long mound lying E. to W. on a slope of 6° immediately above a scarp about 16 ft. high. It is 60 ft. long and 21 ft. to 25 ft. wide surrounded on three sides by a ditch which, at most, on the E., is 3½ ft. below the top of the mound but merges with the scarp on the S. Although slightly asymmetrical, the earthwork gives an impression of sharpness and regularity; its ends are almost rectangular. There is no evidence that the terrace immediately N. of it has been ploughed since the mound was constructed.
The two other 'mounds' are sloping shelves constructed under the scarp of the upper terrace. (b), 20 yds. N. of (a), is about 50 ft. long and 6 ft. wide across its sloping top with a S. scarp about 5 ft. high returning to merge with the slope at either end. (c), 30 yds. to the W. in a comparable position but cut back into the face of the scarp, measures 27 ft. by 15 ft. with a downhill scarp about 5 ft. high and a top sloping E. and S. (R.A.F. V.A.P. CPE/UK 1821: 3400–1.)’

<2> Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey, IOP 264 (Index). SDO147.

‘Lies in permanent pasture, immediately S. of Eastington Farm. RAF/VAP/1821:3400-1. OS SY97NE 55. 7/7/B.’

<3> Papworth, M, 1994, Eastington, Acton, Westwood, Wilkswood, New Barn, Corfe Castle Estate, Wessex Region, 39 (Unpublished document). SWX1388.

Three rectangular earthworks south of Eastington Farm buildings are probably pillow mounds used in the medieval period to keep rabbits. They are probably contemporary with the settlement earthworks 112,074. They lie on the centre terrace of three on the slope below 112,074. The largest of the pillow mounds is 17m long by 7m wide and 1m deep except on the south side where the ground slopes away from the terrace on which the mound was constructed. It is flat on top. The two other features, one to the north and the other to the west are probably similar in function but appear more as terraces than mounds. That to the north is 15m long, and 2m wide with a scarp 1.7m high and that to the west is cut back into the face of the scarp and measures 8m long, 5m wide and 1.5m high.

<4> Wardale, C F, Various, Field Investigators Comments CFW, F1 CFW 23-JAN-86 (Unpublished document). SWX2704.

<5> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 883416 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME: Eastington Pillow Mound, Worth Matravers, Dorset. 1 profile at same scale

<7> Historic England, Historic England Archive, CC71/00628 (Index). SDO14738.

FROM NORTH WEST

<8> Historic England, Historic England Archive, CC72/01437 (Index). SDO14738.

FROM NORTH.SEE ALSO SY97NE14

<9> Channel Coastal Observatory, 23-MAR-2008, Lidar (Photograph). SDO12878.

<10> Channel Coastal Observatory, 25-FEB-2009, Lidar (Aerial Photograph). SDO12879.

<11> National Record of the Historic Environment, 456484 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 27 2024 4:26PM