Monument record MDO40786 - Post medieval drainage system, Cannon Hill,, Colehill

A series of narrow rectilinear ditched features on Cannon Hill, Colehill, are visible on aerial photographs. The features are presumed to be part of a post medieval drainage system that may have also functioned as agricultural or horticultural boundary features. They were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

A series of narrow rectilinear ditched features on Cannon Hill, Colehill, are visible on aerial photographs (1 and 2).

The features are narrow and variously curvilinear and rectilinear in form. They extend across the south side of Cannon Hill where they appear to interlink with further similar features recorded on the OS 1st Edition map, which may have beeen part of a system of drainage channels and ditches on the wider heath but which may also have functioned as agricultural or horticultural boundaries (3).

The features are also presumed to be drainage channels (one feature appears to link into a pond at its northeast end) that may have doubly functioned as field or plantation boundaries. The features are considered likely to be post medieval in date, forming part of the same arrangement in place by the late 19th century, although some features may be later additions.

The featurs are under trees on current Google Earth imagery but are visible in places. They were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

<1> Royal Air Force, 12-DEC-46, RAF/CPE/UK/1893 RS 4106-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15935.

<2> Royal Air Force, 17-APR-51, RAF/58/629 V 5185-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15940.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1864, 1886, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch one (Map). SDO10239.

Record last edited

Apr 27 2018 10:40AM