More information : ST 953 174: Earthwork (NR). (1)
A roughly square enclosure, known as South Lodge Camp, was excavated by Pitt-Rivers in 1893. An Early Bronze Age beaker sherd and Late Bronze Age pottery including a Deverel-Rimbury urn were found in the primary silting of the ditch. A bronze chisel or awl, two bronze razors, a looped spearhead and other bronze objects were also found indicating that Bronze Age occupation both preceded the construction of the enclosure and continued for some time after. A few Romano British potsherds were found in the upper parts of the ditch and throughout the area. Other finds included flint scrapers, a sandstone saddle-quern and animal bones. The finds are in the Pitt-Rivers Museum, Farnham, Dorset. After excavation the earthwork was 'restored' by Pitt-Rivers, the ditch being dug out and the bank enlarged. It is now classified as a Late Bronze Age pastoral enclosure (4). Earlier descriptions describe it as later than the surrounding field system (6) or associated with it. (2-6)
A quadrilateral enclosure formed by a bank with an outer ditch.
The only entrance is on the west side where the ditch is causewayed. The lynchets nearby are probably contemporary. (7)
Excavations in 1978 showed that the enclosures shape is dictated by lynchets which it overlies. The ditch follows these where they follow the shape but ignores them where they run downhill. The chalk excavated from the ditches was spread throughout the interior thus burying the earlier fields interior report. (8-9)
Further excavation report. A post hole of the main roundhouse is radiocarbon dated to 1070 - 60 bc (BM-1921) and 940 - 50 bc (BM-1922). (10)
ST 9538 1746: South Lodge Camp a Late Bronze Age settlement enclosure with associated field system with lynchets and round barrow cemetery containing 6 barrows situated 145 metres north 350 metres east of Rushmore Farm.
South Lodge Camp is one of about 15 known Martin Down enclosures which are named after a typical example on Martin Down in Cranbourne Chase. They survive mainly on chalk downland in central southern England. It has a sub rectangular enclosure of about 0.3 hectares bounded by a low bank with a surrounding ditch with a single causeway leading to an entrance. The round barrow cemetery developed over a long period of time predating the enclosure and continuing in use throughout its occupancy. The field system includes banks of rectangular fields which predate the enclosure and cemetery but also continued in use throughout the period of occupation. Scheduled.(11) |