The eastern of two linear earthworks north of West Woodyates Manor

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 probably then that the dyke became the focus of the associated series of earthworks making up the `Bokerley Line'. 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 eastern linear earthwork north of West Woodyates Manor probably forms an outlying part of the `Bokerley Line'. The earthwork survives well and will contain archaeological and environmental information relating to the construction and use of the monument.

Details

The monument includes the eastern of two linear earthworks north of West Woodyates Manor, both of which may form an outlying part of the `Bokerley Line', a series of earthworks associated with and augmenting the western end of Bokerley Dyke. The date of the earthwork is uncertain, but it may be contemporary with other linear earthworks at the western end of Bokerley Dyke which are of probable Iron Age or Roman date. The second earthwork is the subject of a separate scheduling. The earthwork, which is c.180m long, runs on a slightly curved west to east course across the eastern side of a shallow dry valley. The earthwork consists of an irregular, broad ditch between 11.5m and 13m wide which peters out at the west but ends in a rounded terminal at the east. There are no recognisable banks. The depth of the ditch varies, its asymmetry enhanced by the slightly higher ground level at the north; to the west, the ditch is 0.3m and 0.6m deep at the south and north sides respectively, but to the east it deepens to 0.75m and 1.2m. The second earthwork lies c.50m to the west and is offset to the south by c.20m. All fencing, gates and associated posts and the track are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath these features is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

25623

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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