Monument record MDO41046 - Possible post medieval drainage ditches, Canford Bridge, Poole

Areas of parallel ditched linear features on a strip of riverbank to the southeast of Canford Bridge are faintly visible on aerial photographs. The features may be post medieval drainage ditches but alternatively it is possible that they are historic cultivation marks of possible medieval to post medieval date. They were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

Areas of parallel ditched linear features on a strip of riverbank to the southeast of Canford Bridge are faintly visible on aerial photographs (1 and 2).

The features comprise narrow linear ditches around 2m to 3m wide and set parallel to each other between 5m and 10m apart. The features are very indistinct and it is unclear whether there are any cultivation ridges between the ditches. The ditches are aligned south to north along a 750m strip of the south bank of the River Stour. The area is cut by the railway and the road approach to Canford Bridge; it is not clear but the features appear to pre-date these. It is possible that the features are drainage ditches of probable post medieval date but they may alternatively be historic cultivation marks of possible medieval to post medieval date.

The site is still open ground on current Google Earth imagery and traces of the features are still visible. They were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP.

<1> Royal Air Force, 12-DEC-46, RAF/CPE/UK/1893 RS 4156-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16001.

<2> Royal Air Force, 12-DEC-46, RAF/CPE/UK/1893 RS 4157-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16005.

Record last edited

Jan 6 2020 11:40AM