LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Dorset MDO1688 (None)
NMR: ST 70 SW 9 (201967)
SM: 1002818
NGR: ST73600320
X: 373619 Y: 103258 (OSGB36)
Inland promontory fort located on broad, relatively level, NW-facing spur on edge of Blackmore Vale. Poorly understood and could either be unfinished or part destroyed. Consists of around 320m of massive curving bank from NE-SSW, now c. 14m across and 3.5m high above interior, with external ditch c. 11m across, turning at NW end before fading out. At its SW end possible remains of entrance with faint possible outwork for protection, destroyed by ploughing. A plough affected scarp, c. 1.5m high, bounds hillslope on SW and NW and could have been incorporated in the hillfort circuit, but this is unclear. If so, the site would have enclosed c. 6ha. The surrounding slopes are steep and possible that where gaps in defences none were needed. Improved pasture interior. Scrub and trees on bank. On 1st Ed. OS map (1888). Minimal investigations, undated.
Citizen Science: ✓
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -264491 Y: 6590958 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -2.3759648999039436 Latitude: 50.82818914090699 (EPSG:4326)
Country: England; None
Current County or Unitary Authority: Dorset
Historic County: Dorset
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Melcombe Horsey; Alton Pancras
Site partially destroyed by ploughing or unfinished. Massive bank runs from NE-SSW. Nearby Wessex Ridgeway 200m to S.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
Improved pasture interior. Scrub and trees on bank.
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Inland promontory fort located on broad, relatively level, NW-facing spur
| Contour Fort | ✗ |
| Partial Contour Fort | ✗ |
| Promontory Fort | ✓ |
| Hillslope Fort | ✗ |
| Level Terrain Fort | ✗ |
| Marsh Fort | ✗ |
| Multiple Enclosure Fort | ✗ |
| Hilltop | ✗ |
| Coastal Promontory | ✗ |
| Inland Promontory | ✓ |
| Valley Bottom | ✗ |
| Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop | ✗ |
| Ridge | ✗ |
| Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp | ✗ |
| Hillslope | ✗ |
| Lowland | ✗ |
| Spur | ✗ |
Dominant Topographic Feature: Spur
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✓ |
| Level | ✗ |
Altitude: 251.0m
Boundary Type: Parish/Townland
None.
Reliability: D - None
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | None |
On 1st Ed. OS map (1888). LiDAR survey Citizen Science information.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1888): | OS map. |
| LiDAR Survey (2014): | Citizen Science information. |
None
None
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| No Known Features | ✓ |
| Round Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Rectangular Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Curvilinear Platforms | ✗ |
| Other Roundhouse Evidence | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| No Known Excavation | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
None
| No Known Geophysics | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
None
| No Known Finds | ✓ |
| Pottery | ✗ |
| Metal | ✗ |
| Metalworking | ✗ |
| Human Bones | ✗ |
| Animal Bones | ✗ |
| Lithics | ✗ |
| Environmental | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
NO APPARENT FEATURES
| APs Not Checked | ✓ |
| None | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
At its SW end possible remains of entrance with faint possible outwork for protection, destroyed by ploughing.
| None: | Breaks not determined because of unfinished or destroyed nature of site. |
| 2: | Possible location. |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (South west): | Possible location. |
| 1. Outworks (South west): | Faint possible outwork. |
Consists of around 320m of curving bank, now c. 14m across and 3.5m high above interior, with external ditch c. 11m across, turning at NW end before fading out. At its SW end possible remains of entrance with faint possible outwork for protection, destroyed by ploughing. A plough affected scarp, c. 1.5m high, bounds hillslope on SW and NW and could have been incorporated in the hillfort circuit, but this is unclear.
| Area 1: | 6.0ha. |
| Total: | 6.0ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | Present area not accurately determined. A plough affected scarp, c. 1.5m high, bounds hillslope on SW and NW and could have been incorporated in the hillfort circuit, but this is unclear. If so, the site would have enclosed c. 6ha. |
| ✗ | Rampart curves from NE-SSW. |
| NE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SW Quadrant: | 1 |
| NW Quadrant: | 0 |
| Total: | 1 |
| Partial Univallate | ✓ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
Partially destroyed or unfinished.
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✓ |
| Stone Wall | ✗ |
| Rubble | ✗ |
| Wall-walk | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✓ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✗ |
| Stone Wall | ✗ |
| Murus Duplex | ✗ |
| Timber-framed | ✗ |
| Timber-laced | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| No Known Excavation | ✓ |
| Other | ✗ |
| ✗ | None |
| ✓ | None |
Number of Ditches: 1
| ✗ | None |
Gale, J. 2003. Prehistoric Dorset, Stroud: Tempus Publishing.
RCHME 1970. An inventory of historical monuments in the County of Dorset, Vol 3, pt 2, Central Dorset, 173, London: RCHME.
Atlas of Hillforts:
Wikidata:
This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
and should be cited as:
Lock, Gary and Ralston, Ian. 2024. Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. Available at: https://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk
Document Version 1.1