Dorset’s rich heritage is illustrated through archaeological discoveries and artefacts from prehistoric to modern times. Significant findings include Neolithic axes, Roman mosaics, and Viking burials. Museums, such as the Dorset Museum and the British Museum, preserve these treasures, showcasing the region’s diverse historical narratives spanning thousands of years.
Below is a growing collection, all possible to visit, and the original places they called home.
Museums Featured:
Jurassic
Lyme Regis
Mary Anning’s statue stands, in the company of her dog Trey, looking out towards Black Venn and Charmouth, where she found many of her fossils. In 1823, on the muddy slopes of Black Venn, Mary found her most famous fossil – the Ichthyosaur skeleton; which featured on the BBC documentary ‘Attenborough and the Sea Dragon‘. Her Ichthysaur hangs from the ceiling in Dorset Museum, discovered in the Undercliff while it neighbours a Plesiosaur found at Kimmeridge. Mary was unveiled on her 223rd Birthday, on the 21st May 2022.
Charmouth
The cliffs and clays of Charmouth Beach have unearthed a number of fossils including a plethora of ammonites and belemnites, all on display in Dorset Museum. Other locatons where they have been discovered include Bincombe, Osmington, Horn Park and Sherborne.
Ice-Age
Dewlish
Two mammoths, dating from 1 million years BC, were excavated in the fields above the settlement, revealed by a small mouse hole. The outbreak of the First World War led to the end of the investigation so no more could be found. The tusks of the mammoths were sent to Dorset Museum.
Mesolithic
Iwerne Minster
Hunting tools have been discovered in the valley of the River Iwerne. The once thickly wooded Blackmore Vale would have been full of wildife, the tools demonstrating the skills the people had in capturing and deconstructing the animals for ther own survival. The tools were found high on a ridge, splitting the Vale from Cranborne Chase, providing clear views over the ancient hunting grounds.
Neolithic
Eype
Doghouse Hill, although susceptible to landslides, is believed to be the location of Dorset’s oldest settlement. Thanks to a random discovery by a dog walker in 2009, the National Trust subsequently carried out excavations. Evidence was unearthed which supported the theory that Hunter-gatherers lived on Doghouse Hill up to 10,000 years ago. The settlement was originally a mile inland, but severe coastal erosion of the soft geology means it is now located on a cliff edge crumbling into the sea. The investigations unearthed a stone hearth, fire pit and pot shards from Bronze Age periods (2,500 to 1,000BC) and other relics from the Mesolithic Age (10,000 to 4,000BC). Pottery was even found with ancient fingernail marks, as a form of decoration, the hands belonging to those that walked these same paths thousands of years ago. A selection of finds are on display in Dorset Museum.
West Stafford
Neolithic art work and sculpture have been discovered in the landscape around West Stafford. A phallus shaped chalk carving is on display at the Dorset Museum alongside a similar, but much larger, version found in Dorchester. A number of antlers have also been found, most likely used for digging. Other antlers have been discovered in Bere Regis and Winfrith Newburgh.
Thickthorn Down
Two Long Barrows sit on Thickthorn Down, at the southern end of the Dorset Cursus. Only the southern of the two has been excavated (in 1933) which produced a number of artefacts now on show at Dorset Museum. They include antler picks, goats teeth, pig teeth and shells alongside pottery fragments.
Maiden Castle
Early Neolithic pottery has been found on Maiden Castle with a large bowl on display in the museum. Another similar bowl was found at Hambledon Hill.
Bronze Age
Winfrith Newburgh
In the 1930s a hoard of broken Bronze Age artefacts were found, suggested to have been collected ready for smelting. They include axes, spears, pins and jewellery.
Langton Matravers
One of the largest hoards found in the country was discovered in the coastal village of Langton Matravers. It contained 373 brionze axes and 404 other bronze fragments. The different designs of the axes hint at the vast trade routes that spanned the land.
Dewlish
Ancient earthworks surround the village including Bronze Age barrows that have produced urns, ashes and even a bronze dagger buried with the dead.
Beakers, Urns and Arrowheads
Beakers are one of the key elements to Bronze Age archaeology, their intricate and varied design helping to identify their source. Those on display in Dorset Museum have been discovered at Crichel Down, Thickthorn Down, Bincombe and Frampton.
Urns were often used to place the ashes of the dead and so are frequenty found within barrows. Examples in the museum come from Long Crichel, Corfe Castle, Frampton, Fordington and Bincombe.
Arrow heads have been found in Winterborne Came, Dewlish, Bradford Peverell, Abbotsbury and on the peak of Pilsdon Pen.
Iron Age
Worth Matravers
The Worth Matravers midden, on display at the museum, was a hoard that contained a number of Iron Age artefacts. They include a glass ring, an antler comb, an axe, bone, pottery, needles and an armlet.
Gussage All Saints
Gussage Down is home to one of the largest Iron Age Settlements in the county, with its earthworks still clearly visible today. Set deep within the chalk land of Cranborne Chase it is no surpise that is has revealed a number of treasures. Tools, spears, jewellery, belt fastners, jars and bowls have all been discovered and can be viewed at the museum.
Maiden Castle
This gigantic hillfort was once a bustle of activity. Chalk carvings have been found alongside methods of early currency, rings, pendants, pins, combs, knives and even the skeleton of a dog.
Duncliffe
Duncliffe’s history, although elusive, dates back to the Iron Age with the discovery of a bronze statuette of a boar, known as the Motcombe Boar. A second figurine of Fortuna, the Roman goddess of Fortune has also been discovered, thought to date to the 2nd Century AD. Theories put forward for their presence is that the hill was used for rituals with the Roman figurine possibly suggesting the presence of a Roman temple. Although no evidence for a structure has emerged so far, the site location is similar to the Roman Temple on Maiden Castle.
Bulbury
On the outskirts of the village of Lychett Minster is the Iron Age Hillfort of Bulbury. Many of the earthworks have been destroyed by ploughing and the development of a house and farm, but it would have once been much more prominent, looking over Poole Harbour and with close links to Woolsbarrow Fort, Weatherby Castle and Badbury Rings. As it sits only a short distance away from Poole Harbour it would have had easy access to trade across the sea. A large anchor was found alongside a bronze tankard and fittings, possibly from a chariot. It is believed to be the oldest metal anchor to be discovered in Britain and was likley to have been part of a ritual.
1st Century
Lytchett Minster
Evidence unearthed near Bulbury Hillfort includes pottery, metalwork and glass, suggesting occupation at the time of the Roman invasion, some of which are on display at the Dorset County Museum. The hillforts proximity to a number of Roman routes linking Poole Harbour to the north and west would have meant there would have been little escape for the local tribe from the Roman influence.
Maiden Castle
Believed to be the largest hillfort of the country, the deep, defensive ramparts are undeniable. An excavation in the 1930’s, around the eastern entrance to the castle, produced numerous skeletons, many displayed evidence of death from battle, for example an axe embedded into a spine. These finds are shared between Dorchester County Museum and the British Museum in London.
Portesham and The Valley of the Stones
The area around Portesham is rich with prehistoric remains. To the west lie the Grey Mare and her Colts, the Kingston Russell Stone Circle and the Hampton Stone Circle. To the north is The Hell Stone (a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb), The Valley of the Stones and the Bronze Age barrow heavy Bronkham Hill. One of the most impressive finds is the Portesham Mirror, dating back to the 1st Century AD. The mirror is made of bronze with a beautiful swirly Celtic design on the back. Currently it can be viewed at The Dorset County Museum. Balista bolts have also been found at both Maiden Castle and Pilsdon Pen, suggesing clear conflict.
Langton Herring
An impressive female burial was discoverd near Langton Herring. The grave produced stone and glass beads, a mirror (very similar to the Portesham Mirror and the Holcombe Mirror), a bracelet, a brooch, a comb and tweezers. She was believed to be in her early 20’s and a woman of some status. The mirror hangs next to the Portesham Mirror in the People’s Gallery of Dorset Museum while the Holcombe Mirror is in the British Museum.
Whitcombe
The Whitcombe Warrior was discovered on Whitcombe Hill, between West Stafford and Winterborne Came, in 1966. Anaylsis of his skeleton discovered that he had strong muscles, his right arm stronger than his left, suggesting that arm carried heavier implements. He was buried amongst 11 others but was the only one with a sword. There was also a spearhead, tools, brooches, rings and a spindle whorl, which was more frequently associated with female burials. He sits in the museum just as he was found, still surrounded by his grave goods.
Wynford Eagle
A solid example af Durotrigian pottery was found with a skeleton on the slopes that look over the hamlet of Wynford Eagle. Its size suggests it was used for sharing.
2nd Century
West Stafford
On the same Whitcombe Hill as the Whitcombe Warrior, a Portland stone carving, dating from the 2nd Century AD, was found, depicting a horse and bearded rider with a belted tunic and flowing cape, armed with a sword. Today he is the Dorset County Museum. The area was subsequently excavated between 1965 and 1967 and remains of a Romano-British building were also discovered.
3rd Century
Piddletrenthide
A huge hoard, the largest found anywhere in the county, was discovered at Piddletrenthide. It contained 2,114 coins which were some of the the earliest products of the newly established Roman mint of London.
Bowleaze Cove
The landscape surrounding Bowleaze Cove supported a large population in the early Iron Age and Roman periods. Access to the sea was important but the high hills provided safe havens and clear view points, some topped with hillforts, such as Chalbury, and many Bronze Age Barrows. A Roman villa was discovered in 1844, just a small distance inland. Around the same time the discovery of the Roman Temple on Jordan Hill occurred, which overshadowed the villa. No external elements remain but excavations in 1852 and 1871 unearthed mosaics and pottery dating from the 3rd to 4th centuries. Further investigations took place in 1932 concluding that it was a much larger building than first thought with more industrial activity occurring. A bath house and a furnace was discovered along with coins of Corausius (AD286-93) and Constans (337-350), roofing tiles, tesserae, limestone slabs, a quern, Samian and New Forest Ware pottery, painted wall plaster and a Kimmeridge Shale furniture leg. In 1946 the mosaic, having become damaged from frequent visitors, was sealed with a layer of concrete and reburied.
Between the temple and the villa a cemetery was discovered thought to date to the 1st Century AD and in use to the 4th Century, so throughout the Roman occupation. Only a small section was excavated which produced over 80 skeletons, some buried in wooden coffins (only the nails remaining) others lined with stone slabs. Personal objects were buried with them including pots, combs, jewellery, arrowheads and iron swords. The method of the burials and the type of offerings that were placed with the bodies also reflected the gradual Roman influence over the native Iron Age tribe. Some of the finds are now in the Dorset Museum and the British Museum.
4th Century
Poundbury
The Roman cemetery at Poundbury is well known, sitting on the south western corner of the ramparts of Poundbury Hillfort. It was illegal during the Roman period to bury people within the town walls and therefore bodies are usually found on the outer boundary. On display at the museum are a selection of artefacts discovered within the Roman cemetery including a lead coffin, a child’s coffin, a sliver spoon and some plaited auburn hair.
Maiden Castle
Although the settlement had moved away from Maiden Castle, two temples were constructed on its peak. Figurines have been found on the site dating from this period, including one of a bull and another of the goddess Minerva.
Fordington
This Roman history leaked through the walls into Fordington where Roman coins are frequently found. In 1810 bodies were found just outside of the original Roman wall. They were buried with small glass and amber beads, buckles, bone rings and brass jewellery, while a female skeleton still wore a bracelet made from Kimmeridge shale. They are believed to have been part of a Romano-British burial-ground. The church of St George replaced an earlier church stood on the site, built in 857AD, and prior to that it has been suggested it was the site of a Roman temple. A beaded necklace was also found here, now on display at Dorset Museum.
Hemsworth Villa, Witchampton
A Roman villa was discovered here first in 1831 but covered over and farming continued on the site. It was excavated again in 1908 and much had been damaged. A small section of a floor mosaic is up in Dorset Museum. It depicts the sea god Neptune, with crab legs and claws growing out of his head. A larger section is in the British Museum.
Dewlish Villa
It was in the grounds of Dewlish house when, in 1740, a storm uprooted a tree and a Roman villa was revealed. Unearthed it exposed 24 rooms, including a bath suite, hypocaust systems and provided evidence of occupation from the Iron Age to the late Roman (a period of 500 years). Sadly, many of the records have been lost. In 1974, an elaborate mosaic was discovered depicting a leopard attacking an antelope. It was given to the owner of Dewlish House as a thank you for letting the excavation occur (fewer restrictions were put on these treasures in the 70’s). It was later auctioned off and bought by an international buyer. However on 17th July 2020 the export was suspended by Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage and £150,000 was raised to purchase it for Dorset Museum.
Fifehead Neville Villa
Fields to the east of the village, on the banks of the River Divelish, was one of Dorset’s most elaborate and impressive Roman buildings. In 1880 and 1903 the remains of two extensive wings of a Roman villa were found, complete with columns, floor mosaics, hypocaust systems, lead piping, a rectangular plunge bath, a horde of tools and early Christian jewellery. The jewellery included two silver rings found engraved with the Chi-Rho symbol, an ancient Christian symbol, suggesting that they were wealthy Christians that lived here. Many of the artefacts are on display at the Dorset County Museum.
Bucknowle Villa
Bucknowle Roman villa was placed on the Isle of Purbeck, away from the majority of Roman roads and to the west of the medieval village of Corfe. Painted plaster from the walls are on display in Dorset Museum along with a delicate glass jug.
Hinton St Mary Villa, Sturminster Newton
The village is most famous for the discovery of an impressive Roman mosaic. In 1963, while digging a hole for his wife’s washing line, the village Blacksmith, Walter John White, discovered coloured tiles. The area was subsequently excavated with further excavations taking place as recently as 2022 and 2023. At first it was concluded that the site must have been a villa, with the unearthed mosaic depicting what is thought to be Christ. If so, it becomes the first known, and therefore oldest, depiction of the religious figure anywhere in the Roman Empire! Later excavations have proved that the site was much larger than thought, producing further mosaics. A new theory was put forward suggesting that, as the room was standing alone, it could not have been a villa but instead a religious complex, decorated to the highest standards. The mosaic has been identified to correspond with the workmanship of other mosaics found in the area including at Frampton, Fifehead Neville and Hemsworth, and therefore all attributed to the same mosaic workshop in Durnovaria (modern Dorchester). The mosaic found a home in the British Museum but, in 1997, despite huge outcry, it was broken up to make way for museum improvements. Today only the central figure of Christ is on display, the rest in boxes in archives. There have been many calls to return it to Dorset and negotiations between the British Museum and Dorset County Museum are ongoing.
7th century
Milton Abbas
The large Abbey, now school, still dominates the village, which was famously moved around the corner and out of sight. The Abbey stands on the site of a church founded by Saxon King Athelstan. A gold a crystal rock pendant was discovered here in 2019 with no parallel found anywhere else. It was probably worn by someone with high status, the jewel having travelled many miles. It may have originaly been a grave object but disturbed over time by agriculture.
8th century
Morcombelake
Hardown Hill stands at 207 metres, (679 ft.) high and overlooks the Marshwood Vale to the north and the Jurassic Coastline to the south. The peak is scattered with 10 Bronze Age burial mounds, while arguments have been put forward the hill itself was an Iron Age Hillfort. However, many of the earthworks have been damaged by quarrying. The barrows have been excavated and found to also contain Saxon burials along with axe-heads, spear-heads and a hammer-headed brooch, all now in the Dorset County Museum.
10th Century
Upwey
During the development of the new A354 over the ridgeway, a Viking burial pit was unearthed, within a disused Roman quarry, containing 54 skeletons and a pile of 51 skulls. After investigation it was concluded that they were all men, aged between the late teens to early twenties, as well as a handful of older individuals. They had all been beaten with swords, some had hands cut open, some had scalps sliced off, but all were brutally murdered and decapitated between the years AD 970 to AD1025. The bodies were then thrown into the pit, the heads dumped into a pile. It would have been during the time of Aethelred the Unready (aka Cnut the Great), the men being Viking invaders. The three missing skulls suggest that they were possibly men of importance, their heads kept as souvenirs or hoisted onto sticks as a warning to others and/or a celebration of the victory. The quarry, handily placed next to the heavily used ancient ridgeway route, would have been clearly visible to any passing traveller and therefore a clear warning that Aethelred is not someone to be messed with! The finds can be seen in the Dorset Museum.
Witchampton
The Vikings are infamous for their aggressive invasions but at Witchampton a discovery was made which showed a more playful side. The original chess pieces, carved out of whalebone, are in the British Museum but replicas are in the Dorset Museum.
15th Century
Coombe Keynes and Lulworth
The churchyard surrounding the village church has produced some treasure, but still hides secrets. The Black Death hit the village hard, resulting in the death of over half the population, including the vicar. In the graveyard, where no stones stand, is believed to be a mass grave where many of the victims were laid to rest. During the renovation work in the 19th Century a rare reformation chalice was discovered, believed to date back to the late 15th Century. It is currently kept in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London but occasionally takes trips to the Dorset Museum for exhibitions.
Sturminster Marshall
During the reformation many treasures of the church were removed and stored in safe places to avoid the greedy handds of the Crown. Some of these treasures have resurfaced but many still lay hidden, for example the golden table of Tarrant Gunville. Sturminster Marshall, like Coombe Keynes, managed to retain its chalice.
18th Century
Thornhill
On entering the Art Gallery in Dorset Museum the first painting you are faced with is The Reserrection by James Thornihill. In 1675 James was born and grew up to become an influential painter. He was trained by Thomas Highmore (1660–1720) in the Painter-Stainer’s Company (which still exists today) from the age of 14, all paid for by his uncle Dr Thomas Sydenham of Wynford Eagle. James Thornhill’s baroque stile won over royalty, clergy and the military, travelling throughout Europe and decorating properties such as Blenheim Palace, Chatsworth, the Old Royal Naval College and the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral. After the Great Fire of London, Thornhill was selected over a number of foreign artists to paint the dome. However, he nearly lost his life when he tumbled from the scaffolding only to be saved by a quick thinking apprentice. Thornhill went on to found his own academy, teaching other artists including William Hogarth who ended up marrying Thornhill’s daughter, Jane, in 1729. In June 1718 George I made Thornhill court painter, and two years later, on 2 May 1720, he was knighted. Despite this fame he never forgot his roots. Within Dorset he worked on both Charborough House and Sherborne House.
Thorncombe
Sadborow, also referred to in historical records as Sadbury, Sadboro or Sadborrow, dates back to the 11th century as part of the Forde Abbey monastic estate. After the dissolution, Sadborow came under the ownership of the Bragge family, who continued to live there until the 20th century. During the consumer boom of the 17th and 18th centuries, when there was a general increase in the want for luxury goods, Sadborow’s original manor was demolished and replaced with a newer building. So, between 1773 and 1775 the old site was levelled and a large Ham Hill and Portland stone house was erected, designed and built by John Johnson and commissioned by John Bragge (1741-1783), all surrounded by beautiful gardens and parkland.
Portraits, by the famous artist Thomas Gainsborough, of John Bragge and his wife, Elizabeth (1734-1783), were recently reunited in Dorset Museum. The two paintings, which date back to 1767 to mark their five year wedding anniversary, were passed down through the family until 1909 when they were sold at auction and moved to America. Dorset Museum successfully managed to purchase John’s portrait in 1983, but, Elizabeth remained in private ownership until she was bequeathed to the Charities Aid Foundation in America in 2022. After careful negotiations, on the 14th of February 2023, Valentine’s Day, the two portraits were reunited for the first time in over 100 years. They are now on display at Dorset Museum.
19th Century
Bagber
Bagber was the childhood home of the Victorian poet William Barnes, often playing in the River Stour at Cutt Mill. He was born at Rushay in 1801 but the old farmhouse has since been replaced with a modern version. He was passionate about the Dorset landscape, its people and their language, being inspired by all three to create his work, more often than not in Dorset dialect. In 1845 he became a co-founder for the Dorset Museum and was a forerunner in fighting Isambard Kingdom Brunel for a tunnel under Poundbury Hillfort to preserve its historical importance. A note book of his is in the museum while a statue of him stands outside St Peter’s Church in Dorchester.
Church Knowle
In the early 18th Century Creech was passed to Denis Bond and between 1738 to 1741 he employed the Blandford architect Francis Cartwright to rebuild the south wing and commence a new formal landscape design. He introduced pools, cascades and canals through the woods surrounding the house. He built a small chapel (for aesthetics rather than worship) complete with a chancel arch from the demolished properties of either East Home Priory or Bindon Abbey, and planted fir and pine on an ancient barrow known as Drinking Barrow, both to the north, creating an enchanting vista through Little Wood. To the south he erected the Grange Arch, the gothic eye catcher on the horizon.
In 1844 Rev Nathaniel Bond inherited the estate from his brother, John, and proceeded to carry out a number of alterations, all while staying out the way at East Holme. He also had the chapel rebuilt and made it suitable for service. In 1848 Nathaniel had a portrait commissioned as if to celebrate the completion of works and the move to the new house. However, the painting is tinged with tragedy. Nathanial and his wife Mary, who he proposed to after only 19 days, stand with their five oldest children outside the front of Creech Grange, with a vista behind to a peacock and up to the Grange Arch on the hill. Painted aged eleven their oldest child, Leonora Sophia, standing with her mother, died in 1862. A terrible accident led to her crinoline (large petticoat) to catch fire and she was badly burnt, she became very ill and died of pneumonia shortly afterwards. The Bond’s oldest boy, John, painted as a ten-year-old, died at the age of eleven in 1849 from Tuberculosis, most likely caught while at boarding school. Playing at his mother’s feet is Denis at six, who died at Oriel College, Oxford, only a day after his 21st birthday after ‘a few days’ illness’, as The Times reported. A sixth child, John Lloyd was born in 1856 but sadly died within a year. The surviving children, Nathaniel and George, went on to continue the family line, with the Bond family staying on at Creech Grange throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The painting is currently in the Dorset Museum.
Fordington
Fordington gradually grew around the church of St. George, where the most famous resident of Fordington, Henry Moule (1801-1880), became vicar in 1829. In 1849 and 1854 there were two serious outbreaks of Cholera, this led Moule to develop the first ever Dry Earth closet in efforts to preserve hygiene, an example of which is in the Dorset Museum.
Stinsford
Hardy’s Cottage is the birthplace of Dorset’s most famous author and poet, Thomas Hardy, born on the 2nd June 1840. The cottage was built by his great grandfather and little has altered since. It is here where Hardy was influenced and inspired to begin his writing career, his first five novels including ‘Under the Greenwood Tree’ and ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’ were written in the bedroom behind the right hand dormer window. He later moved to Sturminster Newton and then Dorchester where he designed and built his own property, known as Max Gate. His study has been recreated in the Dorset Museum, in the company of the pens he used to write his novels – one pen per book!
20th Century
Woolland
The sculptor Elizabeth Frink made Woolland her home. Her studio looked over her garden where she produced some of her most famous work. The Tollpuddle Maryters stand to attention on the edge of the old Roman walls in Dorchester while a collection of smaller sculptures fill a corner of Dorset Museum’s art gallery.
1st Century
Maiden Castle
Believed to be the largest hillfort of the country, the deep, defensive ramparts are undeniable. An excavation in the 1930’s, around the eastern entrance to the castle, produced numerous skeletons, many displayed evidence of death from battle, for example an axe embedded into a spine. These finds are shared between Dorchester County Museum and the British Museum in London.
Hinton St Mary, near Sturminster Newton
The village is most famous for the discovery of an impressive Roman mosaic. In 1963, while digging a hole for his wife’s washing line, the village Blacksmith, Walter John White, discovered coloured tiles. The area was subsequently excavated with further excavations taking place as recently as 2022 and 2023. At first it was concluded that the site must have been a villa, with the unearthed mosaic depicting what is thought to be Christ. If so, it becomes the first known, and therefore oldest, depiction of the religious figure anywhere in the Roman Empire! Later excavations have proved that the site was much larger than thought, producing further mosaics. A new theory was put forward suggesting that, as the room was standing alone, it could not have been a villa but instead a religious complex, decorated to the highest standards. The mosaic has been identified to correspond with the workmanship of other mosaics found in the area including at Frampton, Fifehead Neville and Hemsworth, and therefore all attributed to the same mosaic workshop in Durnovaria (modern Dorchester). The mosaic found a home in the British Museum but, in 1997, despite huge outcry, it was broken up to make way for museum improvements. Today only the central figure of Christ is on display, the rest in boxes in archives. There have been many calls to return it to Dorset and negotiations between the British Museum and Dorset County Museum are ongoing.
Bowleaze Cove
The landscape surrounding Bowleaze Cove supported a large population in the early Iron Age and Roman periods. Access to the sea was important but the high hills provided safe havens and clear view points, some topped with hillforts, such as Chalbury, and many Bronze Age Barrows. A Roman villa was discovered in 1844, just a small distance inland. Around the same time the discovery of the Roman Temple on Jordan Hill occurred, which overshadowed the villa. No external elements remain but excavations in 1852 and 1871 unearthed mosaics and pottery dating from the 3rd to 4th centuries. Further investigations took place in 1932 concluding that it was a much larger building than first thought with more industrial activity occurring. A bath house and a furnace was discovered along with coins of Corausius (AD286-93) and Constans (337-350), roofing tiles, tesserae, limestone slabs, a quern, Samian and New Forest Ware pottery, painted wall plaster and a Kimmeridge Shale furniture leg. In 1946 the mosaic, having become damaged from frequent visitors, was sealed with a layer of concrete and reburied.
Between the temple and the villa a cemetery was discovered thought to date to the 1st Century AD and in use to the 4th Century, so throughout the Roman occupation. Only a small section was excavated which produced over 80 skeletons, some buried in wooden coffins (only the nails remaining) others lined with stone slabs. Personal objects were buried with them including pots, combs, jewellery, arrowheads and iron swords. The method of the burials and the type of offerings that were placed with the bodies also reflected the gradual Roman influence over the native Iron Age tribe. Some of the finds are now in the Dorset Museum and the British Museum.
Lyme Regis
Neighbouring the remains of Cannington Viaduct sits an Iron Age defended settlement and a Romano British Villa. Excavations were carried out in 1850 and 1870 when a tessellated pavement and bath house were discovered. Further excavations were carried out in the 1960s and 1970s confirming that there had been a continuity of occupation from the late Iron Age right through the Roman period. The dig also unearthed the Holcombe Bronze Mirror, very similar to the Portesham Mirror, now in the British Museum. The small and simple Roman villa sat in the centre of an agricultural estate but, confusingly, the baths were so big that it is thought that they served the community rather than just one family.
Hengistbury Head
At the time of the Roman Conquest little changed to the landscape of Hengistbury Head. Trade was already occurring between the local tribes and their European counterparts. The harbour was working efficiently, with the help of the natural landscape, and so the Romans used it just as equally, but in the company of more exotic goods. A Roman ship was discovered in the harbour in 1910. The person who discovered it sent a few artefacts to The British Museum, but died in World War I, before he could show anyone where it was!
9th Century
Bowleaze Cove
Bowleaze Cove is hidden down a dead end road outside the town of Weymouth. The shell and shingle beach is at the heart of the Jurassic Coastline and is the gateway between the Isle of Portland and the clays, chalks and limestone outcrops to the east. At low tide the sand is exposed, scattered with rock pools, while the clay slopes of Furzy cliff can produce fossils. In March 1990, after a landslip, the Bowleaze Jewel was discovered at the bottom of the cliff in the cove. Made from glass and gold it is believed to have been a manuscript pointer used to guide the reading eye along the lines of text. It dates back to the Saxon period when King Alfred of Wessex (AD 871-899) ordered translations of Pope Gregory the Great’s Pastoral Care (AD 590-604) into Old English. Manuscripts were distributed to each diocese in Wessex along with a valuable manuscript pointer. It was sold at auction for £40,000, thankfully after the British Museum was able to record it.
10th Century
East Stour
The parish church of Christ Church in East Stour was built in 1841 from the local surrounding limestone. It replaced an older building but incorporated many of its original features including the 12th Century font. In 1939, during the demolition of a nearby house, a highly decorated cross shaft was unearthed. Standing at just over two feet high each face is intricately marked with vine scroll, clearly visible despite damage. It is thought to date as far back as the 10th Century and is currently kept at the British Museum.
Witchampton
The Vikings are infamous for their aggressive invasions but at Witchampton a discovery was made which showed a more playful side. The original chess pieces, carved out of whalebone, are in the British Museum but replicas are in the Dorset Museum.
14th Century
Thorncombe and Holditch
Thorncombe is a little village placed within the small tributaries and deep valleys of the River Synderford. The name derives from the Saxon words ‘torn’ for thorn and ‘cumb’ for valley, meaning valley where the thorns grow. Circling the village are the smaller hamlets of Holditch, Hewood, Synderford and Laymore all connected by the original medieval routes that were carved into the ancient forest and wild wood. Only Throncombe was mentioned in the Domesday Book suggesting the hamlets were yet to emerge out of the untamed trees. Holditch became a manor in its own right with a surviving tower, now covered in ivy, and a ruined church. A golden ring was discovered on a footpath near the site in 2019. After analysis by the British Museum it has been claimed to be the wedding ring given by Sir Thomas Brook, of Holditch Court, to his wife Lady Jane Brook in 1388. It was put up for auction in 2022.
18th Century
Christchurch
Behind the impressive Christchurch Priory is The Priory House, still within the Priory grounds. It was built in 1777 by Gustavus Brander who was the curator of the British Museum.
19th Century
Wyke
Eccliffe corn mill was rebuilt in 1904, after a fire, and today is the work place for world renowned landscape photographer Charlie Waite. The area has influenced other artists too, the most famous being John Constable. In the early 19th Century he often came to stay with a close friend, John Fisher, the vicar at Gillingham. Constable would frequently venture out into the countryside and the bridge at Eccliffe soon grabbed his attention; so much so he sketched the vista, another being the old mill, Purn’s Mill. Today it is viewable in the British Museum.
1st Century
Iwerne Minster
On the banks of the Fontmell Brook a historic settlement was discovered near Park Farm. The area has produced evidence of Iron Age and Roman occupation and was excavated in 1897 by General Pitt-Rivers, it being his last dig, passing away before its completion. The Iron Age finds included Durotrigian silver coins and a bronze brooch. In early Roman times the settlement was modified and finds of this period included coins from Vespasian (AD69-79) to Commodus (AD176-192), brooches, and samian pottery of the 1st and 2nd centuries.
Evidence also gathered supports the theory that in the 3rd century a large building, nearly rectangular in plan, was constructed that included a cattle shed and a granary as well as decorative plaster work. Coins ranging in date from Gordian I (AD238), Maximian (AD283-305) and Decentius (AD350-353), a bronze belt-link and a bone weaving comb were all found in or near the building.
This site is not alone as a number of other Roman villas have been discovered in nearby Hinton St Mary, Fifehead Neville and Shillingstone with an additional Roman camp placed on the top of Hod Hill. Finds from the site can be viewed in Salisbury Museum.
13th Century
Canford and Lady Wimborne
In 1198, William Longspee, an illegitimate son of King Henry II and half-brother to King John and Richard the Lionheart, married the sole heiress to Canford, a young girl named Ela. Ela was loyal to her husband and when he was away fighting a suitor, Herbert de Burgh, told her William had died. Nevertheless, she refused to believe him. Longspee eventually returned to his wife but in 1226 Herbert poisoned him. Longspee was the first person to be buried in Salisbury Cathedral, the foundation stone of which was laid by him and his wife only three years earlier. After his death Ela became a nun, much to Herbert’s disappointment, and the Manor House became a nunnery. In 1791 Longspee’s tomb was exhumed and inside his skull was the corpse of a Black Rat, apparently containing traces of arsenic. The rat can be viewed at Salisbury Museum.
18th Century
Ashcombe
Ashcombe House, set in Ashcombe Park, covers a total of 1,134 acres (459 ha), with the Georgian Manor House sat in the heart of the estate. The first house recorded in this location was built in 1686 by a local squire called Robert Barber. In 1740, the Barber family entirely demolished the original house and rebuilt on the site to a much grander scale, including an orangery (the stables) and gatehouse. Ten years later the house was inherited by Anne Wyndham who, the following year, had married the Hon. James Everard Arundell, third son of the 6th Baron Arundell of Wardour. Together they then remodelled the interior. An 18th Century image of the property is on display in Salisbury Museum.
19th Century
Mistleberry
Sir Richard Colt Hoare and Edward Cunnington along with Augustus Pitt Rivers are often regarded as the fathers of British archaeology due to their pioneering work carried out on Cranborne Chase. Pitt Rivers’ collection of archaeological finds and artefacts were housed in the Pitt Rivers Museum near Farnham from which the present day public house takes its name. However, it was closed not long after his death in the early 20th century. The Collections can now be found in Salisbury Museum and The Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford (possible to go on a virtual tour!)
15th Century
Coombe Keynes and Lulworth
The churchyard surrounding the village church has produced some treasure, but still hides secrets. The Black Death hit the village hard, resulting in the death of over half the population, including the vicar. In the graveyard, where no stones stand, is believed to be a mass grave where many of the victims were laid to rest. During the renovation work in the 19th Century a rare reformation chalice was discovered, believed to date back to the late 15th Century. It is currently kept in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London but occasionally takes trips to the Dorset Museum for exhibitions.
18th Century
Tarrant Gunville
Eastbury House was once one of the largest country houses in the England. Third largest to be precise, only falling behind Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard. All three of these properties were designed by John Vanbrugh. He was commissioned by George Dodington, (Lord Lieutenant of Somerset) to design Eastbury (gates included). The architectural plans of the building can be viewed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Construction began in 1718 but unfortunately George Dodington died before completion. It was inherited by his nephew, George Bubb, who changed his name to Dodington. He was known for being flamboyant and ostentatious, taking full advantage of his privileged lifestyle. He was someone who had influence in Parliament and had many intellectual and artistic friends, adding to his elaborate reputation. However, he was not liked by all, often being the focus of satirical comments. Nevertheless, he put his heart and soul, plus a huge amount of money, into the development of Eastbury. It was finally completed in 1738. Writing at the time, Dorset historian John Hutchins described it as ‘one of the grandest and most superb in the county, and indeed the kingdom’. Inside was no disappointment either, Bubb had decorated it to match his own extravagant personality with paintings, silks and marble galore.
18th Century
Bowleaze Cove
The name derives from the old English ‘bula’ for bull and ‘hæg’ for enclosure translating to ‘enclosure where bulls are kept’. The landscape remained predominately agricultural into the 20th century, encouraged by the cliffs sheltering the valley containing the refreshing River Jordan. In 1816 John Constable (1777-1836) spent his honeymoon at nearby Osmington. While staying there he painted a number of scenes, inspired by the surrounding landscape, including Bowleaze Cove. Today it hangs in the National Gallery in London.
Jurassic
Lyme regis
Mary Anning’s statue stands, in the company of her dog Trey, looking out towards Black Venn and Charmouth, where she found many of her fossils. In 1823, on the muddy slopes of Black Venn, Mary found her most famous fossil – the Ichthyosaur skeleton; which featured on the BBC documentary ‘Attenborough and the Sea Dragon‘. Her Plesiosaur, and Pterosaur are currently in the Natural History Museum. Mary was unveiled on her 223rd Birthday, on the 21st May 2022.
