Two sections of a linear earthwork north of West Woodyates Manor: part of the `Bokerley Line'

Reasons for Designation

Martin Down and the surrounding area contain a variety of well-preserved archaeological remains, largely because the area has been unaffected by modern agriculture and development. This variety of site types and the quality of their preservation are relatively unusual in the largely arable landscapes of central southern England. Bokerley Dyke probably originated in the Bronze Age or Early Iron Age. It was an important political and cultural boundary dividing areas with markedly different patterns of land division. Once established, the dyke remained in use, adapted and remodelled to suit the needs of later periods. These included the more defensive requirements of the later Iron Age and Roman periods and it was possibly then that the dyke became the focus of the associated series of earthworks making up the `Bokerley Line' of which this monument forms a part. Bokerley Dyke still forms part of the modern boundary between the counties of Hampshire and Dorset. The dyke and its associated earthworks were recently the subject of a survey by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. The linear earthwork north of West Woodyates forms an integral part of the `Bokerley Line', and, although partly levelled and infilled, will contain archaeological and environmental information relating to the construction and use of the monument.

Details

The monument, which falls into two areas, includes a linear earthwork forming part of the `Bokerley Line', a series of earthworks associated with and augmenting Bokerley Dyke. The earthwork, lying to the north of West Woodyates Manor, runs from west to east, its eastern end overlapping with the western end of Bokerley Dyke, which is between c.80m and c.65m further to the north. The earthwork may have been associated with an Iron Age settlement north of Bokerley Junction; the associated gap through Bokerley Dyke is now occupied by the A354 road and formerly by the Roman road between Sorviodunum (Old Sarum) and Vindocladia (Badbury). The longer western section of the earthwork rises from a shallow dry valley and crosses gently undulating ground until intersected by the lane between Woodyates and Cobley; it runs for a distance of c.895m. An upstanding section of the earthwork survives in Hill Copse but elsewhere the feature has been levelled and infilled, its course being known from soilmarks and cropmarks visible on aerial photographs. The upstanding section of the earthwork is c.211m long and consists of a ditch up to c.7m wide and with a maximum depth of 0.7m. Ground level at the north side of the ditch appears higher than that to the south and there are traces of possible banks at both sides; these survive to 0.2m high and 2.5m wide. The earthwork is also levelled and infilled to the east of the lane, where it extends for a further c.76m until truncated by a large, circular platform constructed during World War II. All fencing and associated posts are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

25618

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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