Scheduled Monuments›England›The Rings: a ringwork and bailey and a Civil War battery 400m south west of Corfe Castle

The Rings: a ringwork and bailey and a Civil War battery 400m south west of Corfe Castle

England
List entry 1011479
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1011479
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
1.06 hectares
Grid reference
SY 95625 81988
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

The Rings is a ringwork and bailey situated approximately four hundred metres south-west of Corfe Castle in Dorset. The monument comprises defensive earthworks of medieval date, featuring a circular or oval bank-and-ditch arrangement characteristic of early Norman fortifications. During the English Civil War, the site was subsequently utilised as a military battery, reflecting its strategic topographical position commanding approaches to the castle and surrounding terrain. The earthworks remain substantially visible today as landscape features, demonstrating the site's long history of defensive occupation across two distinct periods of military significance.

The Rings: a ringwork and bailey and a Civil War battery 400m south west of Corfe Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1011479. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is The Rings: a ringwork and bailey and a Civil War battery 400m south west of Corfe Castle?

The Rings is a ringwork and bailey situated approximately four hundred metres south-west of Corfe Castle in Dorset. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1011479.

Who is responsible for protecting The Rings: a ringwork and bailey and a Civil War battery 400m south west of Corfe Castle?

The Rings: a ringwork and bailey and a Civil War battery 400m south west of Corfe Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1011479.

What other scheduled monuments are near The Rings: a ringwork and bailey and a Civil War battery 400m south west of Corfe Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Iron Age settlement and associated field system on Smedmore Hill (3.1 km), Two bowl barrows 350m and 410m south of Afflington Barn (3.4 km), Bowl barrow 760m south west of Afflington Barn (3.6 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about The Rings: a ringwork and bailey and a Civil War battery 400m south west of Corfe Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of The Rings: a ringwork and bailey and a Civil War battery 400m south west of Corfe Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your The Rings: a ringwork and bailey and a Civil War battery 400m south west of Corfe Castle report
Or see a real report first
Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Iron Age settlement and associated field system on Smedmore Hill
3.1 km
Two bowl barrows 350m and 410m south of Afflington Barn
3.4 km
Bowl barrow 760m south west of Afflington Barn
3.6 km
Kingston Down Romano-British farm
3.9 km
Bowl barrow on Swyre Head
4.2 km
Bowl barrow on North Hill, 400m north east of Renscombe Farm
4.2 km
Pillow mound 145m south east of Eastington Farm
5.1 km
Bowl barrow on Emmett's Hill
5.5 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under The Rings: a ringwork and bailey and a Civil War battery 400m south west of Corfe Castle

The Rings: a ringwork and bailey and a Civil War battery 400m south west of Corfe Castle stands on Lower Greensand Group, bedrock that formed in the Albian. The rock here is sandstone and mudstone.

The wider landscape

Around The Rings: a ringwork and bailey and a Civil War battery 400m south west of Corfe Castle

DorchesterRoman town · ~17.2 milesMaiden CastleArchaeological site · ~18.3 miles
Domesday entry for Wareham, Dorset →
All Scheduled Monuments