Knowlton Circles

Knowlton Circles are a complex of henges and earthworks in Knowlton, Dorset, England. The henge enclosing Knowlton Church is the best known and best preserved, but there are at least two other henges in the vicinity as well as numerous round barrows.OverviewThe Knowlton Circles are a cluster of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments near Knowlton. There are four enclosures, three are of normal henge form, Church Henge, Knowlton North and Knowlton South, and the fourth is a squarish enclosure known as Old Churchyard. Church Henge is the best preserved of these monuments and encloses the ruins of Knowlton Church. Nearby is the large round barrow known as Great Barrow and a number of other round barrows are also focused on the area.Church HengeChurch Henge is the best preserved of the three henges at Knowlton. It is an oval enclosure surrounded by a ditch and earthwork bank. The enclosure is orientated roughly northeast to southwest and measures 106 metres by 94 metres. The enclosing ditch is 10 metres wide and up to 1 metre deep. The outer banks are 10 metres in width and stand up to 1.75 metres high. They consist of a series of straight lengths linked by rounded corners. Three gaps are present in the bank, to the southwest, east and northeast. It unclear which of the gaps are original, although the east entrance is likely to be original, whereas the west entrance was altered at a later date, possibly after the construction of the church.