Monument record MDO8787 - Group of small circular earthworks , Fillybrook Bottom, Hurn

Group of undated small circular earthworks comprising a low bank and internal ditch. Now probably destroyed. A number of these small circular enclosures are faintly visible under new plantation on aerial photographs of 1956 and 1957 and were digitally plotted during the Dorset Stour NMP.

(Centred SZ 129990) Groups of small circular earthworks diameter 12' - 26', height about 6 ins, with internal ditches, generally found on sandy commons. Heywood Sumner thought they might be old bee-gardens.
(12 in this group). <1>

J B Calkin Esq excavated an area of these ringworks; it consisted solely of an outer bank apprx. 6" high with a slight inner ditch. There were no finds of any description, the sub-soil was natural sand. He could offer no possible date or purpose for these earthworks. Area under flood. Impossible to investigate. <2>

The area has been ploughed and afforested and there is now no trace of the earthworks. <3>

See also SZ 19 NW 13, 14 15, 43 for similar sites. For results and discussion of an excavation of one of these
earthworks, see SZ 19 NW 43. (4)

A group of about twelve small circular earthworks between 3.6 to 7.9 min diameter and about 0.15m high. They comprised a low outer bank with an internal ditch. An area of one of these earthworks was excavated by J B Calkin who confirmed it consisted solely of an outer bank with a slight inner ditch. There were no finds. The sub-soil was natural sand. He could offer no possible date or purpose for these earthworks. Heywood Sumner though they might be old bee-gardens.

A number of these small circular enclosures are faintly visible under new plantation on aerial photographs of 1956 and 1957 <2 and 3>. These were digitally plotted during the Dorset Stour NMP. Further faint and indistinct cropmarks on these same aerial photographs might indicate additional enclosures at this location but these were not clear enough to map.

<1> Calkin, J B, Annotated Record Map Corr 6, 1949 (Map). SWX8214.

<2> Colquhoun, F D, Field Investigators Comments FDC, F1 FDC 27-NOV-51 (Unpublished document). SWX2609.

<2.1> Calkin, J B, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments: J B Calkin, Virginia House, Langton Matravers (Verbal communication). SWX3444.

<3> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F2 NVQ 18-JUL-62 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<4> Allanson, Christopher David, Field Investigators Comments CDA, R2 CDA 12-NOV-81 (Verbal communication). SDO17894.

<5> Royal Air Force, 25-JAN-56, RAF/540/1789 V 28 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15487.

<6> Ordnance Survey, 18-SEPT-57, OS/57R5 V 94 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15496.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 458396 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

May 9 2023 10:43AM