SDO14192 - Warmwell Quarry, West Knighton, Dorset: A preliminary Archaeological Evaluation

On behalf of ECC Quarries Ltd, Birmingham University Field Archaeology Unit carried out an archaeological assessment of a field scheduled for gravel extraction. This took place at Warmwell Quarry from the 5th to 16th November 1990. Prehistoric sites and earthworks including Bronze Age round barrows are recorded in the vicinity. The evaluation consisted of fieldwalking in 2m wide strips and digging of 28 test pits at 50m intervals. The fieldwalking recovered a substantial assemblage of prehistoric flint artefacts, a chert hammerstone, and some burnt unworked flint. The flint artefacts included two arrow heads and 21 scrapers. Of the 28 test pits, ten were devoid of finds, 16 produced flint flakes and two produced recognisable flint artefacts of a knife rough-out and a scraper. The report authors conclude that the results of this evaluation suggest the possibility of prehistoric remains surviving in this area and thus a need for further investigation in advance of gravel extraction.