SOS - Save Our Sites!

The South Dorset Ridgeway Landscape Partnership held a morning introduction to monitoring and recording ‘at risk’ monuments in our landscape today.

Many of our monuments are being de-scheduled by Historic England at the moment, which means that it is important that volunteers go out and monitor the state of our many round and long barrows, hillforts and stone circles for example and record any problems. This may include animal burrows, natural erosion, stock erosion (through grazing or just trampling) or anything that has an impact on the monument.

The project is running until July 2018 and the SDRLP are looking to have the first six month results starting now and hope that monitoring can continue after that with extra funding. All the paperwork needed to do the recording will be sent to us, including maps.

It is suggested that DDCAG could take on an area and monitor it over the six months and this area will be sent to me very soon, so if anyone wants to be put on a rota please get in touch. We can then have a meeting of the volunteers and go through the process and paperwork. This is an important project for us to be involved in, especially for those that cannot or don’t want to dig. The only criteria are to be able to walk in the landscape and not mind getting a bit muddy!    

We have lift off!

Our chair, David Northam, has the new geophiz software up and running and tested out the Rez Meter on his garden! All works well and the data downloaded. No archaeology in David's garden, unfortunately. This is a vital piece of kit for future independent work in this very technical area of archaeology surveying [see above!].

And the award goes to...

Elizabeth Adam, of Nether Compton, Dorset was presented a certificate and one of the 4th century hoard coins in recognition of her support and contribution to the project. She was the instigator and inspiration for the geophysics and excavation of the archaeology at Kitton Lane and even though coming up for 90 also gave us a hand with digging! Thanks Elizabeth, from all the members and committee.

Possible new project

We have been contacted by a group of people in South Somerset to help out with a possible Norman priory project. This could be very big and we are hoping to do some geophiz at the site soon to see what features may be lying beneath two fields. More reports later.

Trench 3 finished

With the features recorded we had a look for more finds in the fill of the N/S feature and found these sherds. All the more for our expert to have a look at. Our Open Day is on the 5th September based at the village hall.

9 Stones video

Although not perfect we hope you like this little film. We are working on doing more and better ones on other sites in Dorset.

Trench 3 update

We have dug and recorded the N/S feature which looks as if it cuts the E/W ditch of the enclosure. We were hoping that this was a trackway through an entrance to the enclosure, but it seems not.

We have had some chunky pot from the upper fill but a 19 c. fragment has put a 'spanner in the works'. Is this example residual or the 19th c. sherd? [In fact we have now found out that it is 4th c. Roman!]

 David taking levels